Little Miss Flames And Flowers
by November Lynneus Oradot
Summary: The sequel to The REAL Cosmic Couple. Wondering about Macaria's past, Hercules and Meg go to the Underworld, where Persephone tells them the story of her daughter. Rated M for violence and mentions of sexual situations. If you read it, review it!
1. Part 1: Introduction

**Macaria and **_**this **_**Persephone are MINE. Anyone who uses them without my permission gets thrown in the Phlegethon River.**

**Everything/everyone else belongs to Disney. Use 'em at your own risk.**

_**Little Miss Flames and Flowers**_

Introduction

"I hate this place," Meg said with a shudder, narrowing her eyes and staring in disgust at the walls around her.

Hercules made a face, "It's so dark in here," he agreed, "and it smells."

"Yeah, they could easily fix that with a few scented candles," Meg rolled her eyes, "I mean, seriously."

The two were in the Underworld. And the reason didn't involve visiting a certain King and Queen of the place. Both had nasty tempers, and neither Hercules nor Meg was willing to face them.

No, the two were in the Underworld for a different reason.

"So do you think Macaria'll oblige?" Hercules asked as he and Meg trekked through a tunnel which was scattered with bones.

"I dunno," replied Meg, "She _did_ tell us all about her parent's past. But I don't know whether or not she'll want to tell us about _her_ past. Probably not."

"I guess," said Hercules, "But it's worth a shot, right?"

"Wrong."

Hercules and Meg turned in surprise.

"She won't say anything," Persephone continued, "And not just because she hates talking about herself—and she does—but because she doesn't know it all." The goddess paused. "She doesn't know what happened before she was born, she doesn't know what happened because of her birth…she doesn't know that you—" She looked at Hercules, "— and her were born on the same day."

"We were?" Hercules gasped, "I didn't know that!"

"And I'll bet you didn't know that not only were you born on the same day, but in the same year, in the same month, same hour, same minute, same second."

Hercules was stunned into silence.

"So…they're like twins, almost," said Meg.

"Mm," said Persephone.

"Why didn't I know about this?" Hercules wondered aloud, "And…and do my parents know?"

"Of course they know," Persephone sneered, and her face transformed into a nasty scowl, "They just don't care."

"My parents are very caring people," said Hercules defensively.

"Please!" Persephone laughed bitterly. "They're selfish, stupid, and cruel. If they _are _'caring people,' then they must only be caring to the 'in-crowd.'"

"They're only like that because you keep trying to overthrow Olympus," argued the demi-god.

"You idiot," she snarled, "You don't know _anything_. Your precious parents are the nastiest pair of gods I know. You wouldn't know it, you're their son. You don't know how cruel they are…" She stared at the floor briefly, a scowl forming on her face again.

"So…are you planning on, I dunno, telling us?" Meg said finally.

Persephone laughed again. "Yeah, right. Get your own storyteller, I'm busy." The Queen of the Underworld turned and started to walk away.

And then she stopped in her tracks.

But only because she couldn't go any further.

"Let go of me," Persephone hissed, trying to break free of Hercules' tight grip on her arm.

"But…I wanna know the story," Hercules pleaded, not loosening his grip at all.

"LET GO OF ME!" Persephone screamed, and he reluctantly obeyed. She stumbled backwards, glaring furiously at Hercules.

"Alright, _fine_, Jerkules," she snapped. A wave of her hand, and two chairs appeared. She herself leaned against a black, smoky pillar. Her pose was almost identical to the one that Hades himself was usually in at Olympus gatherings.

"Do me a favor," she said, "Make sure this—the things I tell you, the story—never leaves the Underworld."

"But what about Bob?" said Hercules.

"Screw Bob," said Persephone, "Do you want me to tell you, or not?"

"Yes," said Hercules, "But—"

"But nothing. Shut up and listen." She scowled at him.

"No need to be hurtful," Hercules mumbled.

Persephone gave him a look (Meg rolled her eyes at the goddess) and said, "Okay. Okay, you want to hear the story of my daughter….you're getting it. Little Miss Flames-and-Flowers…"

* * *

~Author's Notes~ WOOOOOO! DRUMROLL PUH-LEEZE! THE SEQUEL TO THE REAL COSMIC COUPLE IS HERE!!

If any of you reading this haven't read the first story, I recomend that you do...because otherwise, this story might get a little confusing. There will be references to TRCC.

If any of you reading this have already read the first story....welcome back! ^^ Enjoy this story.

EDIT 1/18/10: Since I've gotten two reviews mentioning this, I want to point out that even though the Persephone in TRCC, LMFAF, and the rest of the fics featuring her is the same colors as the Persephone shown in Disney's Hercules, **_THEY ARE NOT THE SAME PERSON!!_** I have my own design for her, and in no way are they related to one another other then them having the same name. I refuse to acknowledge her, because in my opinion, her design is too...fluffy to fit Disney Hades. Capisce? Good. ^^ :) I luffles you all anyway. ^^


	2. Part 2: Chapter I

**Macaria, _this _Persephone and Rhea are MINE. Anyone who uses them without my permission gets thrown in the Phlegethon River.**

**Everything/everyone else belongs to Disney. Use 'em at your own risk.**

**_Little Miss Flames and Flowers_**

Chapter I-- Rhea Talks to the Fates, and the Fates Give Persephone and Hera an Idea

Rhea stormed through the halls of the Underworld, quickly and furiously, but quietly so she wouldn't wake her son and granddaughter/daughter-in-law (O_O).

She knew her way around the place pretty well. Taking a detour to avoid passing the pits of Tartarus—where her insane ex-husband was stored—Rhea finally arrived at a door.

A door which she scowled at, then pushed open. It hit the opposite wall with a bang.

Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos didn't turn around.

"Rhea," greeted Lachesis, still without turning.

"We were expecting you," chimed Clotho.

"I figured as much," said Rhea grimly.

"Well, don't just stand there," said Atropos, "Come in, come in. Let's talk." The three finally faced her.

Rhea entered, arms folded silently.

"What's the problem?" said Lachesis, taking the eye from Clotho and popping it in her socket.

Rhea's lips curved into a tiny smile. "Don't you know?"

"Of course," sniffed Clotho, shooting an eyeless glare at Lachesis.

"But we'll let you talk," said Lachesis.

"It seems to make people happy," added Atropos, grinning toothlessly, and taking the eye from her.

Rhea was not amused. "You said—you _promised_ that you'd make it happen."

"We will," said Atropos calmly.

"When?" demanded Rhea, "This is important!"

"We know," said Clotho, and she swiped the eye from Atroposes' socket.

"Their child must be born…in fact...it needs to be conceived."

"We know," said Lachesis. She thumped Clotho on the back of her head, and the eye popped out and fell into her hand.

"Both of them. Both of them need to be conceived, both of them need to be born," said Rhea, "And _I_ know you haven't done it yet."

"We will," assured Atropos.

"When? Time is running out. Persephone's got to go up to Earth in several months, and if she's on Earth than she can't be impregnated by Hades…"

Lachesis, Clotho, and Atropos shrugged as one. Atropos held out an outstretched hand, and Lachesis reluctantly gave her the eye. She pushed it into her socket with a sickening sound, and blinked at Rhea.

"And her child's _got_ to be born in fall. Therefore, it has to be conceived in a few months. In February, in fact," Rhea continued.

"And what of the other one?" questioned Lachesis, "When do you desire _him_ to be born?"

"We've already discussed this," scolded Rhea, "And don't you know already, anyway?"

The three completely ignored the last comment, focusing instead on the former.

"Minds change," said Clotho simply and the other two Fates nodded in agreement.

"My mind hasn't," Rhea said, "Not this time."

"You desire them to be born on the same day, then," said Atropos, "as planned. Nothing's changed?"

"Same day, same hour," corrected Rhea, "same minute. Same second. And no, nothing's changed. Everything must go on as planned."

"It'll be difficult to do," mused Lachesis, "There will be much manipulating to do." One hand on her bony chin, she stared without an eye at the stone ceiling, thinking.

"But it's still do-able," croaked Atropos. Clotho made a wild and blind grab for the eye, and she stepped backwards to avoid her.

"It had better be," said Rhea, "Many things are resting on the birth of these two."

"We know," squawked Clotho, finally closing her thin fingers around the precious eye, and pulling it out of Atropos's' head.

"Would you three knock it off already?" Rhea demanded, "Forget the eye for a second, I'm trying to carry on a conversation."

The three Fates stopped and scowled up at her. Clotho, who hadn't gotten a chance to insert it into one of her sockets, was petting the eye with one finger.

"Look," said Rhea, "I understand this is going to be difficult. The birth of Hercules and Macaria is going to stir up more than a few feuds…in fact, it's going to stir up a _war. _But, of course, you already knew that."

They nodded silently. Clotho popped the eye into her left eye socket.

"I know you can't impregnate the two now," Rhea went on, "it's much too early, anyway. Like I said, they both have to be conceived in February…but for Olympus' sake, at _least_ put the idea into their heads. The last thing we want is for this to be an accidental, unwanted pregnancy."

"We can give them the thought tonight," the three promised simultaneously.

Rhea smiled and nodded. "Excellent. I'm leaving this in your hands, now; please make sure everything is kept under control. I've got it all planned out in my head. A slip-up could ruin it all."

"We're the Fates!" exclaimed Lachesis, annoyed, and grabbing the eye from Clotho.

"We don't _make_ slip-ups," huffed Atropos, folding her spindly arms.

"Except for Atlantis," piped up Clotho, "but that was Atropos's' fault."

Atropos twisted her head to glare at Clotho. Empty eye sockets, surprisingly, could accomplish a glare very well. "It was _not_ my fault. You were moving the Tapestry too much, it was hard to focus on one point with my scissors."

"I was holding the Tapestry nice and steady!" protested Clotho, "and _I'm _not the one who cut Atlantis off, anyway!"

Lachesis rolled her…eye.

Rhea swiftly exited as the two sisters started to argue fiercely.

* * *

Normally, Hades didn't mind it when Persephone looked at him, in fact, he absolutely loved it. This time, however, she was looking at him with such an odd expression that he was a little unnerved. That coupled with the fact that it was literally the middle of the night didn't help much, either.

"…Seph?" he questioned, propping himself up on one elbow and staring at Persephone with a raised eyebrow.

"…yes?" she said foggily. The expression on her face was one of extreme confusion, combined with surprise and happiness and hope…

Hades gave her an odd look. "Okay…uh, _why_ are you looking at me like that?"

Persephone looked guiltily down at the black sheets covering their bed.

"Did I do something?" he pressed.

"No," she said, blinking once, then again, "I just…well…um…" She sighed, and laughed. "Never mind. It's just…nothing, is all. Forget it."

Hades tilted his head curiously. "I did something, didn't I?"

"Not this time," said Persephone with a smirk.

Hades gave her a look. She shrugged.

"Seriously, what's up?" he said after a second or two.

"Nothing," she repeated, sitting up, leaning back against black pillows and pulling the black blanket around her glowing body.

Hades, too, sat up and looked at her oddly. "The way you were looking at me before…well, hey, it did _not_ look like it was 'nothing.'"

She laughed again, and hooking an arm around his neck, assured him, "It was nothing, okay? Forget it. It was a stupid thought. Drop it."

It had been nearly a hundred years since he had first kidnapped her, nearly a hundred years since they had gotten (re)married. Nothing had really changed—Demeter still hated him and their marriage, the Pomegranate Agreement was still in function, Hecate was still making herself scarce, and Hades still went pretty much crazy with love and disbelief whenever Persephone touched him (and _gods_, had she been touching him these past 100 years[hint, hint].).

"Alright, alright, fine," he grumbled hesitantly, and sank back onto pillows next to her, "Whatever."

Persephone smiled as he closed his eyes, and murmured under her breath, mostly to herself, but also to him (although it wasn't intended for him to hear her), "Besides, I'm sure you wouldn't even _want_ to have a baby, anyway…"

* * *

"Zeus, dear," said Hera.

Zeus muttered something.

"Zeus," said Hera again. She shoved him lightly.

He groaned, and rolled over with a scowl. "Can't this wait 'til morning?" he mumbled.

"I want to have another child," she said suddenly.

Zeus was suddenly very awake. "_What_? Why? We've already got plenty of children."

Hera scowled. "_You've _got plenty of children. I was talking about _our_ children."

"That's what I was talking about, too."

"When I say 'our' I mean your children…_and mine._"

"Oh," said Zeus. He was silent for a second. "We've already got four kids, why do you need more?"

"Because Eris is psychotic, Ares is a nut-job and waaay too violent, Hebe is too little, and Hephaestus is a mutant," said Hera flatly.

"He's only a mutant because you threw him off Olympus when he was born," Zeus pointed out.

Hera ignored him. "I want to have a normal child."

Zeus yawned. "Whatever. We'll talk about it in the morning." He rolled over, and, before she could get another word in, fell fast asleep.

Hera scowled, sighed, and closed her eyes in agreement.


	3. Part 3: Chapter II

**Macaria, _this _Persephone and Rhea are MINE. Anyone who uses them without my permission gets thrown in the Phlegethon River.**

**Everything/everyone else belongs to Disney. Use 'em at your own risk.**

**_Little Miss Flames and Flowers_**

Chapter II--The... "Idea" Haunts Persephone, and Hades and Persephone (as well as Zeus and Hera) Make a Descision

Persephone sighed and trailed one glowing pink finger in the waters of the Acheron River.

Why was it so hard for her to get the ridiculous idea out of her head? It _was_ ridiculous. Not the idea of Hades as a father—which _was_ pretty outrageous to think about—but her as a mother. Even though she had been married for a hundred years now, she was _still_ sort of a reckless teenager. Of course, if she and Hades _did_ have a child, she would love it and nurture it and et cetera, like she was supposed to; but in all honesty, she'd have no idea what she was doing. Demeter was hardly a good example of a parent.

But the idea, no matter how hard she tried to ignore it, no matter how many times she told herself to drop it, wouldn't leave her alone.

It was getting annoying.

Persephone hadn't brought up the idea to Hades. She wasn't going to, not yet. No, not yet. It was _just_ an idea, a stupid idea.

An idea which she couldn't stop thinking about.

It ran around her head when she slept, when she woke, when she was with Hades or tormenting the imps.

Persephone had, in fact, been so unnaturally quiet because of this that (she could tell) Hades was starting to get worried. Worried that she was getting sick, maybe? Hah. The only thing she was suffering from was 'I-think-I-wanna-have-a-baby-itis' and it was busy ravaging her body and mind.

Sighing again, the goddess withdrew her finger and wandered off to think some more.

* * *

Hades _was, _in fact, seriously worried.

Persephone barely spoke. She barely ate. When she _did_ sleep, which lately wasn't often, she slept restlessly. And she would just…stare at him in that odd way she had stared at him a few nights ago.

Had Persephone grown tired of him after all these years? Was she having regrets about marrying him 100 years ago, did she want out of the whole thing?

His hair flickered softly at the thought, and he sank uncomfortably backwards into his marble throne. Hades desperately hoped it wasn't the case. Even _if_ she had grown tired of him, he still loved her dearly, and doubted that he would ever stop.

Yellow eyes traveled to the empty flower-shaped crystal throne next to his.

"Where is she…?" Hades muttered to himself, and his gaze swept the room; he hadn't seen her since morning, which, now, had been hours ago.

He rose from his throne and glided to the door, throwing it open with long, thin fingers, and then swirling out to locate her.

* * *

Hades found her on the floor, her arms and legs spread out so she looked like a giant X. Persephone was staring at the ceiling, and was completely motionless, except for the slight rise-and-fall of her chest as she took each breath.

He thought for a panicky second she had passed out, then realized she was fully awake, just…lost in thought.

Hades knelt and pulled her into a loose embrace, more than relieved when she returned the gesture.

"Why do you feel the need to sneak up on me?" Persephone said with a tiny giggle.

He smirked. "Did I scare you?"

"No. I was just caught off guard."

"Damn," he said, smirk still in place, and she rolled her eyes teasingly. Then, her head falling back and resting lightly on his chest, Persephone closed her eyes and became submerged in thought once more.

He waited a few seconds for her to say something, but after that, it was clear she was done. Hades cocked his head and spoke awkwardly, "Seph, babe, what's goin' on? You've been acting…like…not yourself for days."

Hades paused, and then admitted, "And I'm getting kinda nervous."

She opened her violet eyes and looked at him, just a touch of concern in her face. "Don't be nervous, there's nothing wrong. I've just been thinking."

"About?" he questioned.

Persephone paused. "Oh…lots of things."

"Way to be specific," Hades rolled his eyes. "Like…?"

"Like…" She shook her head, thinking, and then shrugged indifferently. "Like, I dunno, what our kids would look like if we had any." She wasn't lying entirely; it _was_ what she had been thinking about at the moment, but not what she had been thinking about for the past few days.

Hades' eyes widened in record speed, and, subconsciously, he slightly tightened his hold on her. "You—you're not…not pregnant or anything, right?" he said, at a total loss, on the edge of a panic attack. Shouldn't she had said anything if she _was_ pregnant? Was it right for her to…to keep the subject hidden like that, not even bring it up once? _Wasn't that extremely cruel of her?! _And how long had she been thinking about this? He, in all honesty, hadn't thought of childbirth once since they had gotten married.

"No!" she answered hurriedly, "No, no, I'm not. I was just…thinking, is all." Persephone stood up, and Hades rose with her, blinking in confusion and trying to get a grasp on the situation.

"Is all," he finally repeated, "Right."

She shrugged and smiled.

Hades narrowed his eyes and attempted to determine whether she had really been thinking about that, whether or not it really was 'all'. He failed to determine anything; he had been so caught off-guard by the whole mention of it that he couldn't _really_ formulate a thought…he decided vaguely everything was alright and turned to leave.

He had only gotten about five steps away when realization hit him like a ton of bricks, and Hades spun around to stare at her in shock. She couldn't possibly…but the expression on her face confirmed that she _did_, and without realizing it, Hades had spoken three words that he himself didn't even hear.

"Oh my gods…"

Persephone had, as he had turned away, made up her mind in that instant. She was sure of herself, sure that she wanted to do this. The question remained, would Hades want to?

"What?" she said innocently, knowing full well why he looked so stunned.

Hades couldn't get his mouth to move out of the dropped-open, jaw-hanging position it was currently in. He said nothing as a result, only stared.

Persephone tilted her head, greatly amused.

"You…" Hades said shakily, "Y-you…" He stopped trying to speak and settled for staring at her helplessly instead.

She couldn't possibly be serious.

She couldn't _possibly_…

"Y-you…" he tried again, but his vocal chords seemed to be on a coffee break. Nothing, in fact, was working, except for his eyes, which were growing steadily bigger by the second.

"S-Seph…?" Hades croaked instead.

He _had_, a long, long time ago, thought about having children. A son or daughter to accompany him to his dark throne; that had been when Zeus had first thrown him in the Underworld. Hades, even though he had hated it in there from the _start_, had attempted to see the positive side and said to himself that one day there would be a Queen and a Prince or Princess there to rule with him.

Both dreams, after several years of Underworldian life and of being ignored and shunned by the rest of the Olympians, had been dismissed as impossible. The positive way of thinking had been labeled 'stupid.'

Since then he hadn't thought again about having a son or a daughter.

He also hadn't thought again about having a wife, until Persephone had come along. _That_ dream hadn't been so impossible after all.

And now, as he thought about it, if one fantasy could be fulfilled, why couldn't the other? He _had_ someone, apparently willing, to be the mother to his children…

So maybe, maybe _this_ dream really wasn't so impossible either.

"Hades," said Persephone, snapping him out of his little stupor and bringing him back to Reality Land.

"Hades, I think you've figured it out," she said, without waiting for him to respond verbally. She voiced it despite the fact that she knew he knew what she was about to say: "I want to have a kid."

His vocal chords (finally!) sprung into action. "Yeah. So I figured," he agreed hoarsely.

"You look absolutely shocked," said Persephone dryly, "I couldn't have…surprised you _that_ much."

Hades blinked. "No, no, I…um…wasn't expecting that, that's all. I…I just…I didn't know you had been thinking about…that." He paused, then demanded, hands on hips, "Seph, how long have you been thinking about this?"

"A few days," she shrugged, "I don't know…I wasn't counting."

"H-how'd you even get the idea?"

"It just came to me, in the middle of the night." Seeing Hades' skeptical expression, Persephone continued, "I know it was odd, but…that's what happened. And the stupid idea's been haunting me since then."

Hades blinked. "So when was it, exactly, you made up your mind? Decided that you _did_ want to have a kid?"

She quickly counted back. "Um…about a minute and 42 seconds ago?" There was a brief pause. "43. 44. 45…"

"I—I got it," Hades interrupted, holding up a hand.

Persephone suddenly felt sort of shy. "So…" Her voice trailed off and she looked at him expectantly.

"So?" Hades echoed.

"So…do you…want to?"

"To…to have a kid."

Persephone gave him a look. "Duh."

"Um…" he said.

_Did _he want to? It was a hard decision to make, especially since he had had no knowledge of her desire to have a child until about two minutes ago.

The process of creating a child was no big deal, of course. Fatherhood…er…was a different story. Hades had no doubts of Persephone's ability to be a mother, but…him? Hah. He was sadly skeptical in things other than sarcasm, plotting, being evil…etc. Raising a child? Oy.

And then there would be the whole Pomegranate Agreement to work around…

Hades blinked once, then twice, and then let his eyes travel to the floor, where they stayed for a few seconds as he thought about this. It was such a big decision…she didn't really understand that, did she? _He _did, thankfully, and was busy balancing pros and cons in his head.

The number 1 'pro' so far was that he _did_ really want to have a child.

Seph shook her head and smiled almost wistfully after a few seconds; she turned, her back to him now, and folded her arms casually with a tiny shrug. Of _course_ he wouldn't want to. How could she have thought he _would_? It just…wasn't in his personality, or at least _he_ thought it wasn't—she knew damn well it was, but...

"Seph?" said Hades.

Seph kept her smile in place, and she stared at the floor. Without waiting for him to speak, she murmured, "It's okay if you don't want to, Hades, no pressure, I was just asking, that's all. It's just a stupid thought." Thank the gods she had said something, though, now the idea would leave her alone…so she was a tiny bit disappointed, so what? Now she could go on with her life—

"Seph, babe, y'know, I didn't…I didn't say that I…well…didn't," said Hades, grinning slightly from his place behind her.

Persephone's eyes flew up and widened. She twisted her head to look at him.

"Y-y…what?" stammered Persephone, the edges of a (happy) smile creeping on her face.

Hades grinned again and shrugged.

Persephone's face broke into a huge grin of her own. "I—wow, Hades, you…you, Hades, gods, I…" She whirled around and nearly tackled him in a hug. Hades, a bit stunned, blinked then hugged her back.

"Are you sure?" came Persephone's voice as they held each other, "Hades, I don't want you to just do this for _me—_"

"I'm not," he replied, "Trust me, babe, I'm not."

Persephone closed her eyes against him. A kid…a freaking _kid_, for Zeus' sake, a little Prince or Princess of the Underworld scurrying around…

"And anyway what do we have to lose?" said Hades dryly, "Our sanity is the only thing I can think of—because you know a kid of _ours_ is gonna be…er, a handful—"

Persephone grinned.

"—but I think we've both already gone insane a while ago." Hades inclined his head in the general direction of Pain, Panic, Charon and the rest of the crowd that frolicked stupidly around the Underworld.

"Agreed," said Persephone just as dryly.

"And besides," Hades continued, "If we hadn't…planned this out…it was boud to happen sooner or later. Accidentally, I mean."

"True," Persephone agreed.

Hades closed his own eyes, his hands still locked around her waist, and was silent; she said nothing as well, they were both thinking about…

….about what was to come. About_ who_ was to come.

* * *

The couple had no idea that on Mt. Olympus, Zeus and Hera had just had a similar discussion. And had just decided the same thing.

* * *

Rhea, watching both scenes from her palace, made a mental note to thank the Fates.

* * *

~Author's Note~ Oy vey...I'm sorry I haven't updated sooner, my computer was...virus-y. O.o I lost this chapter on my computer because of the virus, then recovered it and finished it....anyway, here it is. ^^ I wanna keep Persephone's...upcoming pregnancy "limited", if ya catch my drift, because I actually want to talk about Macaria at some point...

Okay, anyway, hopefully the next chapter will come sooner. No promises, my computer is still...virus-y. XD


	4. Part 4: Chapter III

**_This _Persephone and Macaria are MINE. Anyone who uses them without my permission gets thrown in the Phlegethon River.**

**Everything/everyone else belongs to Disney. Use 'em at your own risk.**

**_Little Miss Flames and Flowers_**

Chapter III-- It Begins (for Both Persephone _and_ Hera)

Persephone had just enough time to gasp out a curse word and literally run to the bathroom before her stomach emptied itself out.

Hades stared. She had only woken up a few minutes ago—she had mumbled something about her stomach doing jumping jacks inside of her and sloshing its contents around as it did so—then had quieted and lain back in the crook of his arm.

And then about a minute later she had cursed and bolted away as if she had been hit by lightening. Hades could hear Persephone retching in the bathroom, quite clearly.

"Um," Hades called, rising from their bed, "Ya know, that doesn't sound too good."

Her sarcastic comment floated out from the bathroom: "THANKS, BECAUSE I _REALLY_ NEEDED SOMEONE TO TELL ME THAT!"

Hades shrugged, although he knew she couldn't see him do so. "Hey, I'm just saying. Caring husband, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera, all that jazz."

Persephone started to say something, but her words were cut short by another retching noise.

Hades automatically grimaced for her.

"Seph, babe, you okay?"

Persephone stumbled out from the bathroom, her face pale, her eyes dulled, hair mussed. "I'm fine," she said weakly, "I'll be fine."

Hades immediately appeared in front of her, and she leaned heavily against his frame, closing her arms to let the nausea pass.

"You're _sure_ you're okay?" Hades asked again.

"Yeah," Persephone assured him, still feeling queasy, "I dunno….it's just…just something I ate, I think. Something like that."

* * *

The next day, Persephone's eyes flew open rather early in the morning, and she staggered to the bathroom again, the same nausea she had experienced the day before coming back with a vengeance.

Hades woke to the sound of his wife throwing up in the bathroom for the second time that week.

"Seph?" he said, tilting his head and propping himself up on an elbow.

"Gimme a minute," she gasped, leaning heavily over a basin and holding her hair back with one pink hand. Her other hand was pressed flat against the floor as a support.

Hades appeared besides her in the room. "Seph, babe, are you—"

"—okay?" she finished, "Yeah. I'm fine." Persephone smiled at him.

He grinned back, but it quickly vanished into an expression of concern.

"So this—" He gestured at the basin, and at her kneeling before it, "—is all food poisoning?"

Seph nodded, her head spinning, and her stomach turning. "What else could it be?"

"I dunno. It could be a virus or something—"

Persephone stood up and hugged him around the waist. "Hades, you worry too much."

"I do not."

"Do too. Keep it up, and you'll earn a spot next to Demeter."

Hades scowled. "Oh, please. Next to Demeter, I'm the most careless person in the world."

"Amen," Seph mumbled.

* * *

On the third, fourth and fifth days, Persephone went through the same routine: wake up, become nauseated, run to the bathroom, and throw up. And Hades woke up all three days a moment after her to the sound of her hurling. He would glide (half-asleep) over to her and ask if she was okay. And she would weakly nod and snuggle up against him, pale and feeling sick. Like her stomach was flip-flopping around.

Sixth day—and counting, it seemed—the routine repeated itself, and Hades decided to take action. When Seph went to stumble out of the bathroom, he nearly dragged her over to their bed and forced her to sit.

"Hades, what…?" she said, blinked and rubbing the sleep out of her eyes; even after running and retching, she still wasn't fully awake.

"Sephy, babe," he said, and she, although she was feeling crappily queasy, interrupted him and said flatly, "Don't call me Sephy."

Hades gave her a look, and corrected himself, "_Seph_, babe, you gotta go see someone… or somethin'."

Persephone frowned and folded her arms, getting the familiar feeling of flip-flopping in her stomach once again. At least, after six days—and counting—it was familiar. "I'll go with 'or something,'" she said.

He crossed the room and sat on the other edge of the bed, noting that Persephone's pink skin seemed a little bit green. And very white. "I'm not asking," he said calmly, crossing his fingers, "I'm telling."

"Since when…" She stopped, placed her hands over her stomach, which was flip-flopping again, and waited for the spell of nausea to pass. When it was gone—sort of—she started over, "Since when do you tell me what to do?"

"Since your sense of better judgment toppled out the window," said Hades, "E.g., six days ago."

Persephone frowned.

"Seriously, babe, you gotta go see someone 'bout this."

"'Bout _what_?"

""Bout this whole 'wake up and puke' thing," Hades said, matter-of-factly, "You're sick, babe, and you gotta do something about it. You can't just wake up and hurl every morning."

"I'm not…" Again, Persephone paused, head spinning, and waited for her spell of nausea to pass again. "….not sick. I'm not."

"No?" Hades gave her another sharp look. "Want me to go get the tub of vomit in the other room and show it to ya?"

"Hades, please," said Persephone wearily, her hands pressed to her churning stomach.

"You've got…got germs," he said, "Go see Apollo. Doesn't the sunshiny yutz have magical healing powers or something like that?"

"I don't like Apollo," said Persephone, inclining her head to give him a sharp look of her own, "Remember the whole 'arranged' marriage thing way back when?"

He remembered. "Okay, fine, then what about his bratty son….Asclepius or something like that?"

"I'm not sick," insisted Persephone, "And I _told_ you I don't like Apollo; that uncludes his spawn."

"Fine," said Hades, folding his arms, "Okay, fine, then you can go see the Fates."

"The _Fates_?" Persephone echoed, sarcastically skeptical, "What are _they_ gonna do, recite a riddle, say 'we know' 17 times and then shoo me away?"

"Well," said Hades. His voice had the air of someone talking to small child. "They know everything, don't they?" He answered his own question, "Yeah, they do, and that includes knowing whatever's wrong with ya."

She frowned, put her slender hands on her slender hips. "I'm not…there's nothing wrong with me, I'm not sick!"

Without a word, Hades vanished into the bathroom and returned with the basin of her vomit of the day.

"Disgusting!" she gasped, pressing a hand over her nose and mouth.

"Isn't it?" he said dryly, "This is just a _perfect_ example of something a _healthy _person would do."

Persephone's eyes traveled to the basin, and then to Hades' sarcastic expression. "I'm not sick!" she insisted again, "It's probably just—"

"Food poisoning?" Hades said flatly. Persephone shrugged.

"Seph, if you're not gonna go see Apollo or his brat of a son, then go talk to the Fates."

Persephone frowned again. "But I—"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, you're not sick, I know," he said sarcastically, and then, more serious, added, "I insist."

"Hades—"

"Scratch that, I _demand._"

Persephone sighed and she stood, folding her arms grudgingly. "Okay. Fine."

"_Thank_ you," Hades sighed too, and he stood as well and looked down at her with an amused and grateful eye. After a hundred years, Persephone had grown height-wise, but Hades still towered over her. She only came up to his shoulder. A little bit past, maybe, at the base of his neck, but that was all.

She blinked and stared up at him with her own pretty little violet eyes.

"I'm hungry," she said suddenly, a hesitant smile breaking out on her glowing pink face. She blinked again and drifted out the door in almost a stupor.

Hades blinked, too, and stared after her, confused. "W—" he started to say, then changed his mind and started over, "Seph! You can't just….just wander off, what are ya, out of your mind? You gotta go….didn't we_ just_ talk about this? Sheez!" His skeptical tone changed to one of annoyed, exasperated amazement. "You _said_ you'd go see the Fates! Seph!"

"I will!" she said brightly, her voice sounding loud and clear despite the fact that she was in another room, "In a second, though, Hades, I want baklava."

Hades blinked again, shook his head and rolled his eyes, amused despite himself.

* * *

On the day that Persephone's morning sickness had first started, Hera's had started, too. But her _dear_ husband Zeus had reacted much differently then Hades had.

Specifically, he had walked into the bathroom where Hera was kneeling over a basin of her own, and he had made a face when he realized she was throwing up. "Eeew," Zeus had said, making another face to express his discontentment, "Hera, that's disgusting. Clean that up."

"But, I—" she had started to protest, her stomach still churning.

"Immediately. Really, Hera, that's just gross." And he had walked away. Hera had scowled after him but obeyed.

But on the sixth day of waking up and throwing up, Hera suddenly placed a hand on her flat stomach. Or rather, her flat womb.

Oh, but it wouldn't be flat for long, would it?

One of the benefits of being the goddess of childbirth along with her more well known position as goddess of marriage was that she was able to detect pregnancies. Including her own.

Okay, to be totally honest, she hadn't figured out that she was pregnant until just now. The past six days…well, it could have been anything, a virus, food poisoning.

But it wasn't.

She hoped Zeus would be pleased.

* * *

After ingesting half a plate of baklava, Hades had nearly shoved Persephone out the door. He was annoyed, but only because he was worried about that. Seph knew that.

But she wasn't sick! She didn't feel that bad. It was just during the mornings that she was throwing up, never during the day. And she didn't have a fever or anything, or a cough, or the sniffles, or _anything. _Persephone was _convinced _that she wasn't sick. This was just the result of…of _really_ bad food poisoning; if anything, it'd go on for another day or so and then she'd be all better.

But Hades had insisted—_demanded_—she go talk to the Fates, and she decided she'd better humor him and do so.

After all, what was there to lose?

* * *

Persephone had only stepped up to the door and put her hand on the door handle when it swung open. The three old crones stared (two, eyelessly) at her as she gasped and stepped back, pulling her shawl tighter around her shoulders.

"Hi," said Atropos, grinning crookedly. She had the eye at the moment, and it blinked at Persephone, who had never really personally encountered the Fates.

"H….Hi," said Persephone awkwardly, adjusting her black shawl, "I…um…Hades wanted me to…to come here, you see, I've been getting sick in the mornings and he said—"

"We know," they said together.

"…Oh," said Persephone, feeling stupid and uncomfortable.

There was a period of silence that lasted for about three seconds.

"Um…" said Persephone, "So…uh….can you help me?"

"Of course," sniffed Lachesis, placing her thin hands on her bony hips, "They don't call us 'all-knowing' for nothing, you know."

Clotho grabbed the eye from Atropos. "Persephone, dear, come on in, please."

Persephone hesitated, then followed them into their cave home.

Once inside, she instinctively shuddered, then instinctively shuddered again. It was _creepy. _The eyes plastered all over the walls did nothing to shake that eerie feeling away and for the third time, Persephone pulled her shawl closer to her, wrapping it tighter around her shoulders and her chest.

"Take a seat," instructed Lachesis, taking the eys from Clotho and directing her to an empty chair with one crooked, nearly skeletal finger. The chair was black. Gothic. Creepy.

She sat. There was another three second silence, and again Persephone was the one who broke it.

She was nervous. She babbled. And she hoped that they wouldn't interrupt her and say, 'we know' because it would just make her nervous-er.

"So…I…um, for the past six days, today being the sixth, 'I've been waking up early because I've been nauseous and…and I've been vomiting, and Hades wanted me to go see someone about it, 'cuz he figured I was sick, but I'm _not…_but I came here anyway…" Her voice trailed off as her eyes met their staring, unblinking eye.

"I'm not sick," Persephone repeated.

"No, you're not," agreed Atropos, grabbing the eye.

And Lachesis swiped the eye from her and said, with a smirk crawling on her ancient face, "I suppose congratulations are in order."

Persephone was more then confused. "Congratulations? I don't…why?"

They ignored her question and as Clotho stole the eye from Lachesis, Atropos spoke, "Your baby's due in October. Congrats and all."

Persephone's eyes widened. "B…b-baby?!"

"Just like you and Hades planned," said Clotho.

"But…" She suddenly remembered. They ahd agreed to have a child three weeks ago. But had spoken no more of it since then. Not to say they hadn't participated in any, ahem, activities since then. And evidently…she had become pregnant!

She was speechless. "I'm…I'm pregnant," she whispered, placing a hand over her womb where her and Hades' child was. Just a little clump of cells. But soon….nine months….they'd have a _baby_, a real, living, breathing_ baby_…

Persephone walked out of the Fates' home in a happy daze.

* * *

~Author's Notes~ Ugh, I'm sorry about the lack of update thing. I have NOT forgotten about this story, no matter how many months pass between updates. Ugh, RL. I hate you sometimes. XD

Anyway, next chapter should be up fairly sooner, but no promises. Computer got fixed, by the way, if anyone cares. ^_^


	5. Part 5: Chapter IV

**_This _Persephone and Macaria are MINE. Anyone who uses them without my permission gets thrown in the Phlegethon River.**

**Everything/everyone else belongs to Disney. Use 'em at your own risk.**

**_Little Miss Flames and Flowers_**

Chapter IV-- Hera Tells Zeus and Seph Tells Hades

"Zeus, dear," said Hera in a low voice as she emerged from her chambers to confront her husband. She had only just realized that she was pregnant; Persephone, although Hera didn't know it, had just received the news from the Fates.

Hera walked into the throne room, where Zeus was, playing with his thunderbolts.

Zeus looked up, annoyed. "Hera," he thundered (hah, pun), "I'm busy, can't you see that?!"

She sighed and folded her magenta colored arms. "Zeus, _dear_," she said, "_Dear_, do you remember that little conversation we had a few weeks ago?"

He frowned. "No," said Zeus, clearly not caring, "What was it about?"

"I wanted to have another child," said Hera, "And you didn't, and we talked about it, and then you changed your mind and decided that you wanted another child, too." She, too, frowned. "Remember?"

Zeus thought for a second, then said, "Vaguely. What about it?"

"Well…" Hera laughed, a short, rather nervous laugh. "Well, it happened!"

"What did?" He had turned back to his lightening bolts.

"I'm pregnant, dear," she said.

The lightening bolts were forgotten. Zeus turned back around, and for a second, neither of them said a word. And then his face broke into a grin.

"I hope it's a son," said Zeus.

* * *

Persephone slipped through the iron gates of the Underworld noiselessly, and, as Charon ferried her across the river, her mind started to race despite the dozens and dozens of souls standing besides her and murmuring nonsense.

Persephone thought back to the conversation she had had with Hades three weeks ago, when she and him had decided to have a child. After that day, neither had spoken about it; it was as if the conversation hadn't taken place.

Not that they didn't want a kid. Seph sure as hell did, and she figured Hades did, too—he was an avid liar, but never to her, and he had _said_ he wanted one. But neither of them had talked about it again. It had just been that one conversation. The decision had been brought up, discussed, and finalized in one day.

But in the space between that one day and now, Persephone had gotten pregnant. Pregnant! There was going to be a little prince or a little princess of the Underworld running around here in nine months, and Persephone was beyond thrilled. In fact, she would have jumped for joy, but she was afraid she'd accidentally harm the clump of cells that was their child resting in her womb if she did so.

And Hades, hah, Hades didn't know yet. He had thought she was sick, had sent her off to the Fates. But, oh, she wasn't sick, oh, no.

Persephone smirked slightly. She had been right after all, but the reason why she'd been throwing up was beyond her imagination.

She was gonna have to tell Hades when she got across this damn river. The only thing was…_how_ was she going to tell him? She had no idea how he'd react; after all, when she had brought up the mere _idea _of it, he had been…er…a tad bit surprised.

_Understatement of the year,_ Persephone thought dryly, subconsciously placing a hand over her stomach. Er, her womb. She wondered what she'd look like with child. She had been thin her whole life; thankfully, she had been lucky enough not to inherit Demeter's, er, fat genes. Her mother, throughout the course of Persephone's life, had called her 'bulimic' and 'anorexic' because she wasn't used to thin body types.

A sudden thought shot through Persephone's head, a thought that made her lose her balance and almost topple out of the boat.

_Oh, crap. My mother's gonna kill me when she finds out._

Demeter, needless to say, would _not_ be pleased that she was carrying _Hades' _child. Still, after 100 years of relatively happy marriage, the goddess of the plants had refused to believe that Persephone—dear, sweet, Persephone—could be in love with the, to quote Demeter, "wicked brute" that was the Lord of the Dead.

The news of their child probably wouldn't be received too well.

"Lady Persephone?" said Charon in that rough voice of his, nudging the goddess of spring/rebirth and Queen of the Underworld with his barge pole.

She glared at him.

How dare he interrupt her thoughts.

She rolled her eyes, clearly expressing her displeasure (_Keep dreaming about that pay raise, idiot,_ she thought to herself), and strode off the boat to go find Hades.

* * *

Persephone had gone into the throne room, expecting to find him hunched over his chessboard like he usually was. But when she pushed open the iron doors that led to their throne room, she found it empty.

A bit more hunting, and she found Hades. He was in the kitchen, storming around and knocking down chairs, a glass goblet filled to the brim with earthworms in his left hand.

"Hades," she said, folding her arms with a smirk, "I really think you need anger management classes." Persephone bent and picked up a black chair, putting it right side up and pushing it into the table. There was a fresh dent in it.

He gave her a look, sighed, scowled, and flared orange. "Ha, ha," said Hades sarcastically, twirling a worm between his index finger and thumb and then slurping it like spaghetti.

"Ew," said Persephone, making a face.

"Oh, shut up," he said with a smirk of his own, teasing her; she grinned and twisted her hands together.

It was strange—she usually played with her necklace, her precious skull necklace that Hades had given her way back when, when she was nervous. But at this moment, it felt more natural to twist her hands.

"Hades, can I talk to you for a sec? There's something I need to tell you."

He shot her an apologetic grin. "Sorry, babe, can't right now. The Furies went on a killing spree upstairs and I've got souls pouring in by the second, not to mention stacks of freaking paperwork I have to get done. So, I dunno, ya wanna tell me later? Can it wait?"

Persephone considered that, got an idea, and smirked, folding her arms casually as he slurped up another worm and walked into the next room.

"Oh, yeah, of course!" she called, "I can wait 'til after to tell you that I'm pregnant!"

"Sure thing, babe," said Hades from the other room, "Sorry and all, but you know, business." She couldn't see him, but she was sure he was rolling his eyes.

* * *

It seemed Hades' thought process was set on slow motion today because it took him exactly 7 seconds to realize what she had just said.

* * *

When Persephone got the response she did, she had smirked—slightly—and counted down the seconds on her fingers.

_I, II, III, IV, V…._

She was on her other hand, up to _VII_ when she heard the sound of glass shattering. Like someone had broken a cup.

Or like someone had dropped a goblet full of worms.

She tilted her head and entered the next room, where Hades had walked into.

The goblet of worms lay in a million pieces at his feet. The worms were scattered over the shards of broken glass, squirming.

Hades, Hades was frozen in place, his left hand in the air still formed around the glass that was no longer there; he was holding, essentially, air. His yellow eyes were opened wide and he was staring into space.

Clearly shocked beyond movement or rational thought.

"Ahem," said Persephone, folding her hands behind her back.

He tore his eyes away from nothing and forced himself to look at her, still stunned, eyes still widened.

"Could you…could you…repeat that last part?" Hades finally managed to gasp out.

Persephone bit back a giggle. Did he know that those were the exact words he had used when she, so many years ago, had told him she loved him?

Probably not. Frankly, she doubted whether he was thinking about _anything_ besides what she had just said.

"I'm pregnant!" she said, throwing out her arms in a dramatic, happy gesture. She grinned. "You know. With child."

Hades stared at her.

"Mine?" he said finally.

Persephone gave him a look. "Duh."

She stepped back automatically as Hades fainted.

* * *

Persephone worked around her husband's unconscious body. A mess of broken glass and worms was thrown into the garbage. She went into the kitchen and fixed all the chairs that had been knocked all over the placein Hades' fury. To her credit, she _tried _to fix the dented and charred spots on the chairs, but to no avail.

Persephone swept away ashes with the side of her hand, then returned to the next room. Hades, he was still unconscious. She sighed, shot the sundial hanging on the wall a sideways glance, and then seated herself on a metal stool lying rather randomly against a wall.

She waited.

For about three seconds.

Persephone left the room, and came back with a bucket, a bucket of ice cold water.

Pursing her lips slightly, she dumped it all on Hades and returned to her stool as he screamed and shot up in the air like he was on a trampoline.

It was quite comical.

Hades glared at her, hugging himself and shivering, trying to relight his hair at the same time. "If you were anyone else," he gasped, "I'd kill you, I hope you know that."

"Well, I wasn't going to leave you passed out on the floor all day," Persephone calmly responded, a smirk on her lips.

Hades shook his head, scowled, ran a hand through his hair which had just re-lighted, then put the same hand on his hip and looked at her. Persephoen rose from her stool and met his eye.

"So…" he said, awkwardness hanging in the air between them, "So…what, you…you went to the Fates and they told you I knocked you up?"

"Must you be so crude?" she frowned slightly, then grinned and tilted her head, "But yes."

Hades couldn't figure out a way to respond. She was pregnant. _Pregnant. _She…he…_they_…were going to have a kid.

Holy…

"Wow," Hades said quietly, his fingers lacing together and his eyes traveling to the ground, "That's…that's…" His face suddenly broke into a grin. "…wow."

Persephone grinned as well and her arms slid around his waist as she purred, "The Fates said the baby's due in October, so I'll be in the Underworld when it happens."

He hugged her gently and looked back at her. "Thank the gods. I think I'd really die if I couldn't see…" Hades' voice trailed off suddenly and he scowled, flashing orange. "You've gotta leave in a few weeks."

Persephone's face fell. "I…oh. Oh. Oh, that's…" She shook her head and stared at the spot on the floor where Hades had just been staring. "…Hey, at least I'll be with you at the end of it all."

"I wonder if we could get the Pomegranate Agreement repealed temporarily?" he said dryly, and she looked at him, and then they both smirked.

"Hah," said Persephone, then added, "So we've got to tell Pain and Panic, and then…well, I've got to leave in a few weeks, do you think you can avoid telling the rest of 'em 'til I leave?"

"And why is that, might I ask?"

"They'll be swarming all over me until I'm gone."

"That's a definite."

"Right. So hold off the news until I'm gone and then you can flit around and brag and whatever."

He smirked. "I plan on it."

"_And_," Persephone continued, "You're going to have to come with me when I tell my mother."

Hades froze in place. "Wha—Persephone! She's gonna _kill_ me!"

"So to speak."

"No! No. No, not so to speak, for real, she'll find some way to kill me, and she will, trust me on this, Seph."

Persephone considered that, then decided. "You're overreacting." As an afterthought, she added, "Er, a little."

Hades laughed nervously, his hands tightly around Persephone waist. "Yeah, well, we'll see about that."

She twisted out of his grip and took his hand in hers. "Yeah, yeah. Let's go tell Pain and Panic before one of us forgets," her tone turned sarcastic, "in all this _excitement_."

"I _am_ excited," Hades protested.

"The emotion I'm thinking of for you is more along the lines of 'shocked', but okay," she responded, but she was kidding, of course, and he knew it. Hades smirked dryly.

"Whatever. Let's go before the _excitement_ eats us up."

They wandered off hand-in-hand to go find the imps.

* * *

~Author's Note~ Yay! See, I said this chapter would come quicker! ^_^ Remember to review me, please, reviews make me all sparkly inside.


	6. Part 6: Chapter V

**_This _Persephone and Macaria are MINE. Anyone who uses them without my permission gets thrown in the Phlegethon River.**

**Everything/everyone else belongs to Disney. Use 'em at your own risk.**

**_Little Miss Flames and Flowers_**

Chapter V-- The Imps Are Informed and Hades and Seph Talk More

"What are they, hiding?" Hades muttered after about 20, 25 minutes of searching had ended in zero results.

"I don't know," Persephone shrugged.

"They've vanished off the face of the Underworld." He stopped walking – more like stomping at this point- and stood with his arms crossed.

Persephone ran a hand through her hair. "Well, they've got to be somewhere."

Hades scowled. "Why do we even have to tell our imps about this anyway? S'not like they're anyone important. I mean, seriously."

"Yeah," said Persephone, "But they're our minions, and that means that when the baby comes, they'll be his or her minions, too. They have to know, we…well, you because I'm leaving soon, are gonna have to tell them that I'm pregnant and…and teach them how to, I dunno, take care of a kid."

His scowl deepened. "Yeah, okay, sure, because I know a whole lot about taking care of kids."

She put her hands on her hips and said matter-of-factly, "Well, you're going to have to learn."

Hades looked at her, as if considering this (he was), and then let out a sigh.

"The poor kid," Hades mused, sighing again.

"And what kid would this be, Your Flamefulness?"

Both Hades and Persephone jumped at Pain's voice.

"None of your business," Hades snarled at Pain. Panic scratched one of his horns and piped up, "But what kid were you sympathizing with?"

Hades flared orange, on the verge of screaming something, but a sharp look from Persephone cut fof the even sharper words he was about to say.

"Seph," Hades whined, looking stubborn, "C'mon, why do we _have_ to tell them?!"

"Tell us what?" said Pain, exchanging a confused look with Panic.

"Yes," said Persephone, tilting her head upwards to look Hades in the eye, "And if you won't, then I will."

Having totally been ignored the first time they had asked, Panic repeated Pain's question, "Tell us _what_?"

"But, _Seph_," Hades said, shooting a glare at the imps.

She gave him another sharp look, one of her eyebrows perfectly arched.

He shrank back and wondered dryly, _Why is it that I can face the horrors trapped in this big, bad hellhole known as the Underworld without a flinch, but when my _wife_, my sweet innocent little _wife_ gives me a _look _my insides turn to ice?!_

Persephone stepped in front of Hades once she realized she was going to have to take charge this time, and she directed her gaze down to the imps. "Pain, Panic," she said, "I'm pregnant, 'kay?"

In the several second-long silence that followed, Pain and Panic's eyes grew several sizes larger then they usually were.

"Y…y…y…?" stammered Panic.

Hades snickered despite himself, and, pointing a finger at him and glancing towards Seph, he said, "Lookit, you've reduced Panic to mere syllables."

"S-since _when_!?" Pain managed to say, feeling, under the blind shock of it (he and Panic both knew they loved each other, but had never bothered to think that _Hades_ could have a child, much less with Persephone), the _tiniest_ bit jealous. Pain (_and_ Panic), over the span of the past 100 years, had begun to….er…_like_ Persephone, but had never _dared_ mention it to Hades or to anyone else (except her).

"Since…" started Persephone, who was well aware of their _liking_ of her and couldn't care in the slightest, "Since…uh, I dunno, how would I know? All I know is that I _am_ and that I'm due in October."

Pain looked at Panic and Panic looked back at Pain, fanged grins suddenly spreading across each of their faces, and they both simultaneously squealed, "WE'RE GETTING A BROTHER!"

"Or a sister," added Pain.

Hades and Persephone looked at each other, wearing identical expressions of confused disgust. Hades looked back at the imps with a raised eyebrow and said, "Lemme just, y'know, get this _straight…._you think of us—" He gestured to Persephone and himself, "—as your…your _parents_?!"

"What the _hell_?" said Persephone.

Panic shrugged. "Sorta," he explained, "I mean, it's not like we have anyone _else_ in our lives, and you guys are just, like, I dunno, figures to, like, lean on."

"In a…creepy, abusive way," Pain added.

Hades stared. Persephone curled her lip in disgust.

"Weird," Hades said, glaring at them, "Hah, and there was me, thinking you two couldn't get any freakishly stranger…"

They shrugged.

Panic looked towards Persephone excitedly, "So the baby's coming in October? That means you'll be in the Underworld when it comes—"

"But you're gonna be gone for the rest of the time," said Pain.

"Ooh, and does Demeter know yet?" said Panic.

"Not yet," sighed Persephone, seeing Hades wince out of the corner of her eye, "No, we're going to have to tell her…well…later. Not now. We have to wait."

"She's gonna be mad when she finds out," reflected Pain.

"No, really?" said Hades sarcastically.

"She's gonna _kill _you," agreed Panic and Hades scowled, glanced at Persephone, then glared back at the imps.

"_Thank_ you for the info, because I _really_ couldn't figure that out myself," he snapped, folding his arms.

"Well, she'll have to kill me first, because there's no way I'm raising this kid without it's father," Persephone, who had been silent during this previous little exchange, spoke suddenly and Hades gave her a (grateful) smirk.

Pain and Panic exchanged glances, shrugged, and decided to zip out before things started getting too mushy between their bosses. "Congratulations!" they chorused as one, and then _POOF! _They were gone, had disappeared into a little puff of cloud (which was now also gone).

Persephone twisted her head back to look towards Hades. "See?" she said, "That wasn't so bad."

"Didn't really need 'em telling me about how steamed Demeter's gonna be," he responded, clearly annoyed.

"Well, we don't have to tell her yet." Persephone sighed and pressed the back of her hand to her mouth in thought, "No, not yet, and I certainly don't plan to."

"What are ya gonna do, hide it from her?"

Persephone gave him a tiny smile.

Hades' eyes widened. "_What—_Persephone! Are you out of you mind?"

Persephone looked towards to ground, then gazed out at the river Styx, which was about a mile away and visible in the distance. "I…okay, I know it's not the best plan—"

"Ya think?" he interrupted, and she gave him yet _another_ look and Hades stopped speaking and let her finish.

"It's not the best plan, " she started over, "but it's better this way…think about it, if I hide the fact that I'm pregnant for as long as I can from her, well, then, she can't force me to do anything…anything bad, y'know?"

"Anything bad?" echoed Hades, skeptically, "Like _what_?"

"Like _anything_," said Persephone, her hand now pressed against her stomach, "I'm thinking along the lines of a forced abortion."

Hades' eyes widened yet again. He said nothing.

"She would do that," said Persephone, "Or at least try to. And it's not like we'll have the other gods to back us, our child is going to be as much as an outcast as we are, and you _know_ that's a fact."

Again, Hades said nothing. But then he seemed to change his mind, and he said, "Well, that's all well and good and twisted and _wrong_, but ya can't just hide the fact that there's a baby growing inside of you for six months. From your own mother, no less. Seph. I mean, she's gonna figure it out when you bloat all of a sudden."

Persephone looked at her hands and a little frown spread across her lips. It was like magic; that tiny little frown seemed to effect the rest of her face, her eyes the most of all.

Simply put, she looked like she was about to burst into tears any second.

"I don't wanna talk about this anymore," she said in a tiny voice, "It's making me depressed."

She was so…so child-like sometimes, such a sharp jump away from him. Hades, honestly, didn't want to talk about this topic, either – talking about Demeter gave him a headache, talking about what she would do to their unborn child after she found out abaout it was giving him a headache and extreme nausea – but it had to be talked about. This confrontation couldn't be avoided, so the least they could do to avoid getting maimed was to break it to Demeter _smartly._ Persephone's 'plan' didn't fit that bill. Demeter would realize, if not during the pregnancy, then definitely after when Se[h suddenly had a baby under her care.

"But—" Hades started to say. They couldn't put this off until the last second…they couldn't just wing it.

"Hades, please, I'm going to start crying."

Hades blinked. He had skills in many areas, but dealing with crying women was a serious failure on his part. He was clueless…

"How long to I have until I have to leave?" Persephone asked brightly, swiftly changing the subject.

_Ooh, what a nice, happy, new topic. _Hades calculated quickly in his head anyway.

"'Bout…6 weeks," he said.

Persephone sighed. "It's going to fly by, y'know. I know the days, the weeks, the _months_ always fly by, but this time, it's really gonna…"

"Well, at least we _do_ have time together," Hades pointed out, "We'll salvage these moments, 'kay?"

Persephone smiled, and then practically leaped on him, her lips firmly meeting his…seconds later, she purred in response, "'Kay."

* * *

"So is Macaria actually going to be _in _this story?" said Meg, studying her fingernails, "Or are you just going to prattle on and on about every detail of your pregnancy for a few more hours? Because if that's the case, then I'll just leave and save myself the trouble."

"I can't just skip nine months ahead," said Persephone, scowling at her, "Besides, there are important events that need to be told--"

"Whatever," said Meg, "Just try not to list every detail, willya? I mean, come on. We're here to hear about Macaria. _Not _you."

"Meg," said Hercules, casting a worried glance at Persephone.

"Listen to your boyfriend," said Persephone dryly, "Unless, of course, you want to spend the rest of your life in my garden as poison ivy or something."

Meg rolled her eyes, but quieted herself.


	7. Part 7: Chapter VI

**_This _Persephone and Macaria are MINE. Anyone who uses them without my permission gets thrown in the Phlegethon River.**

**Everything/everyone else belongs to Disney. Use 'em at your own risk.**

**_Little Miss Flames and Flowers_**

Chapter VI-- Hades Gets Depressed, Persephone Leaves, and a Difficult Task is Presented to the Underworld

The weeks _did_ fly by, like Persephone had predicted, _much _faster then they usually did.

The reality of the situation sunk in several days before the day of Persephone's departure (March 21st). Hades found himself suddenly depressed.

She couldn't go. He wouldn't let her, no way. Screw Zeus, screw the Olympians, she was _pregnant_ for Olympus' sake, they couldn't separate a baby —unborn as it was­—from it's father for six excruciating months. And Persephone, Persephone needed support, support that Demeter and the rest of the god-squad couldn't give her. Support that she needed from _him_. It was his freaking kid, anyway, what right did _Zeus_ have to take it away from him for six months?!

No right. No right at all.

Persephone agreed with him completely, but law was law and what chance was there that Zeus would make an exception? He didn't even _know_ she was with child. Hell, all of the Underworld excluding Pain and Panic had no idea.

The remaining days passed, too…

Now he, both depressed and deeply pissed off, sat examining one of Persephone's flowers.

With one long finger, Hades brushed over the petals of the rose in his hand. It was black. Persephone could only create dark colored flowers when she was in the Underworld…black, midnight blue, dark violet, blood red.

_But she was leaving. Tomorrow, _he reminded himself sullenly. All her flowers would be gone, they'd wither up and die without her springtime presence here to make them grow. Her flowers would be gone, she'd be gone and their unborn child would be gone, too.

For six months.

Six long painful months.

He picked another flower — this one a dark blue daffodil — and stared at it.

"Playing with a flower?"

Persephone's even voice broke the silence he had been enclosed in for nearly half an hour. Hades was startled, but he didn't show it…he raised his stare to Persephone, standing solemnly behind him.

Neither one spoke for a few seconds.

"You can't go," Hades said finally, setting down the flower and standing up.

"I have to," she said quietly, even though they had had this conversation frequently over the course of the past 5 weeks.

"You're pregnant, for Olympus' sake."

"They don't know that."

"So tell 'em."

"They won't _care_." Persephone put a hand gingerly on his shoulder, which, along with the rest of him, was heating up rapidly and turning orange under the fabric of his chiton. "You _know_ I don't want to leave, either, but I have to."

Hades stared at the floor, his lip curled up in disgusted fury.

"The Pomegranate Agreement can't be broken," Persephone said.

"But…" Hades turned suddenly, meeting her gaze, "but there's gotta be a clause somewhere in the Agreement that says that—"

Persephone winced, placed her other hand on her stomach as it turned over randomly, and replied with a little sigh, "We didn't plan that far ahead."

"That's not _fai—_"

"But I'll be back."

"They can't make you go," Hades said firmly, "They can't _do_ that—"

"But Zeus can. He's 'king of the gods'?" She used air quotes around 'king of the gods.'

"It's not fair!" Hades protested, stepping back so he wouldn't accidentally burn her as he flared.

Persephone shook her head. "I _will_ be back, okay? Look, I know these six months are gonna be awful for both of us, but, hey, I'll be _back_, and then we'll have a son or daughter to fuss over, okay?"

Hades was silent, the orange flames on him flickering.

"So at least we'll get something good out of this, right?" Persephone pressed, trying to get a response from him.

He relented, shooting her a weary grin. "Right. But…still, it's just—"

"Unfair," Persephone finished for him, "I know, Hades, we covered that." She smiled apologetically up at him, and squeezed his hand tightly, her eyes traveling to the floor, to his face, to their joined hands…

"Help me finish packing, okay?" she asked softly, hoping to bring his—and her—mind off the subject at hand. He nodded and followed her to their room.

* * *

"Long time no see, Demeter, babe," said Hades, bitterness lacing his voice as he leaned against a black pillar, Persephone by his side and Demeter in front of him.

Demeter smiled sarcastically. "Yes. It's a _pleasure_ seeing you again."

"Guys, please don't," groaned Persephone, her hand on her forehead as she tried to prevent an argument in the makings.

The two settled for discreetly glaring at each other.

"So may I have my daughter back?" said Demeter, her sarcastic smile becoming less sarcastic, but still unsincere.

"Yeah, yeah. Gimme a sec," was Hades' snapped reply. He, tuning Demeter's grumblings out, hugged Persephone as tightly as he dared, seeing as how she was with child and all…

"You'll be alright with this kid by yourself?" he said in a low voice, so that Demeter couldn't hear.

"I'll be fine," she assured him, closing her eyes and hugging him back, "In a few months I'll see if I can…sneak back and then we can tell her—them—about the baby together, okay?"

"Fine. Don't wait too long, if they figure it out on their own, well, guess who's gonna get blamed?" His tone was dry as he gestured to himself.

Persephone half-smiled, half-winced. "Gotcha."

"AHEM," said Demeter loudly, scowling.

"_Mom_," Persephone growled.

"Would ya chill out for a sec? Sheesh, I'm saying goodbye, idiot, I;m not gonna see her again for six months," Hades snapped to her, flaring orange.

"Well, hurry up," Demeter instructed bitterly, "_I _don't have all day."

"You have six months," Persephone corrected in an annoyed monotone.

"Whatever. Hurry up." She waved her hand to punctuate her point.

Hades gave her a dirty look, then returned his attention to Persephone. "You're _sure_ you'll be alright?"

"I always manage."

"Yeah, but this time…"

"I'll cope."

"I'm not convinced."

"Tough."

They hugged again (not daring to do anything else with Demeter right there, knowing that she'd end up throwing someone into a river or something like that), and Persephone with a regretful smile followed her mother to Charon's boat.

Hades waved, then swirled off to find something to do.

* * *

Amazing.

It was just amazing.

He was up to his ears in paperwork and other work the entire autumn, the entire winter. And now all of a sudden, as soon as Seph left, there was absolutely nothing for him to do.

_Boy, the Fates really hate me, don't they?_

He scowled at his kingdom, staring out from the windows of his palace, then turned and decided to go sulk in his room for a few hours. Or the rest of the day.

* * *

It was the next morning and Hades wasn't feeling any better. Gods, he missed her terribly, and she had only been gone for a _day_.

_I have no idea how I'm gonna get through these next six months…oy vey…_

But when Persephone came back, their kid would be practically here. And…it was better to get a head start on things, right? Persephone _had_ told him to tell the rest of their…citizens about the new prince or princess once she was gone, and then there was the matter of…well…

* * *

"I'm gonna say this once and only once, okay? SHUT UP!"

The ear-splitting chatter stopped. Thousands of Underworldian eyes traveled upwards to their master, standing in front of the crowd with his arms folded. He had gathered them all together on the border of the Elysian Fields.

After a few seconds of (peaceful and serene) silence, Hades forced himself to cool down and he spoke, "Gods and goddesses…monsters and demons…other various, uh, creatures…there have been some rumors that have been going around—" He paused for a second and glared directly at Pain and Panic, who both shifted uncomfortably, "—and first off, I'd like to clear 'em up."

Hades eyed his audience. "Yes, Persephone is pregnant."

There were a few gasps from the crowd, and several eyes swiveled towards Pain and Panic, who were nodding in an 'I-told-you-so' way.

"Rumor number II," Hades continued, flaring briefly orange and glaring at Pain and Panic again, "Yeah, the kid is mine."

More gasps rang out in the crowd, and the air buzzed with whispered conversations…the Furies and the Miseries cheered.

"And lastly—" He flared up again and glared _again_ at Pain and Panic, who looked like they wanted to melt into the floor (a wish that most likely Hades would fulfill later), "Seph and I are _not_ getting divorced, and our unborn kid is _not_ in _any_ sort of custody battle, no matter what you may or may not have heard from a source that will remain unnamed, PAIN AND PANIC, mkay? You all got that?" The crowd rapidly nodded as one, not wanting to provoke his legendary and short-fused rage.

Hades forced himself to cool down once more. He began to pace, throwing words out casually as he did so.

"Okay, folks, here's the deal, quick n' painless, I'll just cut to the chase, okay? You've all worked for me for…a long time, putting all specifics to the side. As cliché an' corny as this sounds, we've been through a _hell_ of a lot together. Most of 'em—who am I kidding, _all_ of them_, _were along the lines of disasters (hey, this is the Underworld, whaddya expect?). Similarly, all of 'em were extremely difficult to overcome. But now, my staff of assorted species…es, I come to you know with by far _the_ most _difficult_ task we have _ever_ been faced with so far in the history of the Underworld…in the _history_ of _history…_" He, knowing how to give a good speech, paused for dramatic effect. The crowd was leaning forwards in dreaded anticipation.

Hades grimaced to himself, thinking of the task at hand, then smirked to his crowd, realizing that he could make _them_ do all the work and he finished his sentence with a grand flourish.

"…baby-proofing the Underworld."

The crowd was the perfect illustration for the phrase, 'silent horror.'


	8. Part 8: Chapter VII

**_This _Persephone, Cronus, and Macaria are MINE. Anyone who uses them without my permission gets thrown in the Phlegethon River.**

**Everything/everyone else belongs to Disney. Use 'em at your own risk.**

**_Little Miss Flames and Flowers_**

Chapter VII-- Hades Gets an Idea from an Unlikely Source and An Unfortunate Obsession is Started...

The inhabitants of the Underworld weren't thrilled about their new task.

Hades was right. This _was_ the most difficult task they had ever been faced with. The Underworld was created with the intention of it being basically a giant death-trap. It was _not_ meant for a baby, unless, of course, that baby was dead.

Hades had pointed out that since their child would be immortal, injuries wouldn't really be that bad, if they occurred, still, it would be better to avoid them altogether. Get rid of all the hazards. But there was just too much to fix.

Hades, however, was insistent on the completion of this task and they all grudgingly obeyed him. What choice did they have anyway?

Ever river was fenced off, ditto every bottomless pit and cliff. The cages hanging over the Phlegethon—one of which Persephone had gotten trapped in long ago (although that particular cage was in melted pieces at the bottom of the river)—were taken down so the baby couldn't get itself accidentally stuck.

The torture instruments in Tartarus were sealed away, much to the relief of the prisoners stored there.

The Furies (Tisiphone, Megaera, and Alecto) teamed up with Poena (the goddess of punishment), and the Curses (practically indistinguishable from the Furies and unnamed) and set about filing down all the sharp edges scattered around the Underworld. Hades had informed them that he didn't want his kid "getting impaled by some corner sticking off of some rock" and so they had taken it upon themselves to fix this problem.

The more dangerous creatures—the Keres, the Harpies, et cetera—were locked away behind bars for the time being. Each group—because the monsters all came in groups—were warned that there would be _severe_ punishments to deal with if any of them touched Hades' son or daughter, and they all but rolled their eyes at the warning. So they were locked up.

Hades supervised. He gave out instructions and orders, made sure that everything dangerous was totally sealed off, et cetera, et cetera.

_See, I can be a good dad_, he thought with an indifferent shrug as he watched a group of Cyclopes destroy a pair of precariously perched rocks, _Better then mine, at least…_he_ probably never took the liberty of baby-proofing Olympus for us six…_

Granted, Olympus was made of cloud.

'_Sides, _I _have no plans to eat my child._

The thought made him pause in his musings, and he blinked, ignoring the barked command of one Cyclopes to the other (they all had names but he didn't care enough to learn and remember them). Hades suddenly disappeared. He left behind only a cloud of smoke that quickly faded away.

* * *

He reappeared in Tartarus.

It was only for precautionary reasons. Hades wouldn't have set foot in this particular area of Tartarus otherwise.

But he had to make sure his imbecilic employees had remembered to lock up the biggest threat in the Underworld.

Hades peered over the gaping edge of the pit in an absentminded sort of way. There was fire in the seemingly bottomless cavern, lots of it, and the pit _looked_ hot and painful. One couldn't even imagine what it was like being _in_ the pit. And (_Figures_, Hades thought with a mental eyeroll) it looked like no-one had even bothered to set foot near the pit, let alone block it off for the oncoming Prince or Princess of the Underworld.

Something roared in the pit, and Hades stepped back automatically and winced.

Oh, yes, he'd just holler for Pain and Panic, and they'd come over here and fence this entire area off and lock it with a big iron lock and he'd casually and discreetly _run like hell away from here _and go hide in his bedroom for the rest of the day. Sounded like a good plan.

The something in the pit roared again, and Hades could pick out a few curses from his otherwise incoherent sounds.

"Honestly," Hades worked up the courage to come up with a sarcastically annoyed response, "You crashed n' burned years ago. No-one cares what you have to say anymore." He corrected himself. "'Or scream. No-one cares what you have to _scream_ anymore."

He daringly risked a smirk into the pit, remembering only _after_ he drew back that the Titan was trapped in his eternal fiery pit of a prison and that there was no way he could reach out and drag Hades inside (and eat him).

Hades glowered down at Cronus.

He couldn't see him, but he was pretty sure his father was glowering right back at him. In between the searing pain, of course.

"Pain! Panic!" Hades hollered suddenly, backing up as Cronus roared something that started with an _F_ and ended with _you_. The two imps appeared in twin puffs of sparks.

"Pain!" Pain saluted.

"And Panic!" chirped Panic, bowing, and then the two chorused, "Reporting for duty, boss, sir!" Only then did they bother to look around and observe their surroundings. Panic shrieked and jumped into Pain's arms.

"Save the dramatics," said Hades with a roll of his yellow eyes, "Look, did I _not_ tell everyone in the Underworld to make sure everything that was extremely dangerous was, ya know, roped off, blocked off, fenced off, _off'd_ and out of reach?!"

They nodded rapidly.

Hades gestured towards Cronus' prison. "_So, _explain to me _why_ my dear old daddy—" Cronus screamed something in the pit "—is _not_ blocked off?"

He didn't get an answer straightaway. Flaring up, Hades hissed, "Do you _not_ agree with me when I say that this sick n' sadistic Titan is the _biggest _threat to my unborn kid?!"

They nodded again.

"_So_…?!" Hades fumed, hands on his hips.

"We didn't wanna come near him," gasped Pain in a rather smallish voice, "He….we didn't want to g-get eaten."

Hades could understand their fear, but he didn't bother to show any sort of empathy. "Well," he spat, "I'd kinda prefer it if my kid didn't have to spend 16-freaking-years in Cronus' stomach like I had to."

Oh, gods, that had been such hell. Contrary to popular belief, Cronus hadn't swallowed each when they had been born. In fact, none of them had been babies at the time that Cronus had gone insane—Hades had been the youngest at 3, and then Zeus the oldest at 8. Thanks to Rhea, Zeus had (narrowly) escaped the gaping jaws of Cronus and had grown into a "strapping young lad" (to quote Demeter) that had devised a plan to free the siblings from his stomach….

Unfortunately, it had taken him 16 years to devise this plan. By the time they had all been puked up, Hades was ready to never see any of his siblings again.

He supposed he should have been grateful to Zeus for springing him free. But Zeus didn't _really _care about his sibling's well-being, and had just needed allies for the war between the Olympians and the Titans…Hades was only 19 and knew _nothing_ about fighting or battling or what_ever_. Zeus had given him a Helmet of Invisibility (courtesy of one of the Cyclopes) and _had freaking used him as a distraction. _Yeah, he had been invisible, but did that stop Cronus and his insane Titan posse from slashing at him with swords and claws?

No, it did _not. _Hades still had scars.

Understandably, he was still somewhat frightened of his father—all of the siblings excluding Zeus were—and had been less then thrilled when Cronus had been plunked in Tartarus, in _his realm. _That just showed how much his brothers and sisters cared 'bout him.

But just because Hades' childhood and teen years—or lack thereof—had been hell-ish, it didn't mean that his son or daughter was going to have the same fate. Nuh-uh. No way.

"Just seal 'im up," snapped Hades, and he turned to leave, aware that Cronus had stopped roaring and screaming, a rarity, and instead was breathing heavily in a raspy way. His breathing filled the room, creating an eerie effect.

"Yes, boss," whimpered Pain and Panic, and they set to work, boards and hammers and nails appearing on the ground next to the pit.

Hades sneered, "_Thank_ you, numbskulls," and continued to glide to the exit.

"_**Are you leaving so soon?"**_

Hades sucked in a breath and his eyes nearly popped out of his skull. Pain and Panic gasped and darted as far away from the edge of the pit as possible.

Hades became aware that he was shaking. Cronus didn't _talk. _He hadn't talked in years. He just roared. And screamed. And cursed. But he didn't…he didn't just…start talking, he didn't have conversations. He hadn't spoken since he had been imprisoned, and that had been thousands of years ago.

_An' I thought it was scary being around here, now he's talking to me, _Hades' thoughts gasped in his head, because his mouth and every other muscle in his body was incapable of moving.

Cronus' voice was deep and raspy, and it kept cracking, like it hadn't been used in centuries, which it hadn't. He continued to speak, painfully slow. **"**_**Please…Hades…we haven't sat down and….chatted….in a long time…"**_

"That's because," Hades forced—_forced, yes, _it was painful to speak—himself to make words, "you're not one for conversation, and I'm not one for conversing with cannibals."

"_**Touchè," **_Cronus chuckled, a hissing sort of laugh like nails on a chalkboard.

"I'll just be going now," said Hades quickly, shuddering, and he continued towards the exit.

"_**Stop that," **_Cronus ordered, his breaths heaving after every word, _**"I want to talk, Hades…is that so bad?"**_

"Uh, yeah," said Hades, turning back to the pit and putting his hands on his hips, "Yeah, actually, it _is_ so bad. Go back to…burning, and I'll just be on my way." He bowed in a mocking way.

"_**A word of advice," **_Cronus rasped.

Hades stopped.

"_**If your child," **_he hissed, _**"is a son…you're in danger of being overthrown."**_

"Pfft," said Hades flatly.

"_**I would…recommend **_**not**_** swallowing **_**it**_**,"**_said Cronus, _**"The consequences of…that aren't exactly the best."**_

"I guessed," said Hades sarcastically.

"_**You can kill it," **_said Cronus, _**"Before it grows up."**_

"I'll consider it." His voice was dripping with sarcasm.

Cronus' voice took on a more serious tone. But it was mocking behind the serious. _**"You'd best make sure that your little **_**brat**_** steers clear of the likes of me…the Olympians could barely defeat me and my army way back then…there's no way a **_**baby**_** could stand a chance…"**_

Hades allowed himself a smug smirk. "Oh," he said, "But, uh, we _did_ defeat you, didn't we?"

"_**That was by chance!" **_Cronus suddenly bellowed. The flames rose with a mighty whoosh. Cronus screamed.

"Chance," repeated Hades, "Right."

"_**It was by **_**chance**_**. Foolish mistakes on…on my part. And you all, you all were young and fresh and nimble whereas **_**we**_** were ancient…it was an unfair battle," **_Cronus snarled, _**"You let me go, and you let my comrades, my army go, and let us face the Olympians again, and you'll see, it'll be a victory so grand the mortals will be speaking of it for millennia to come." **_He laughed again, that rusty nails-on-chalkboard laugh. _**"Your god-squad wouldn't stand a chance against us."**_

Hades gave him a flat look, but he couldn't deny that there was truth in his words. Back then, the gods _had_ been "_**young and fresh and nimble**__," _but now things were different. Many, many years had changed. They had all aged, and none possessed the fighting skills they used to. Pitted against the Titans, who were still massive and strong, they wouldn't stand a chance.

If Cronus ever got out and re-assembled his forces, it would be _bad_ for the gods. Zeusie would get overthrown, and then Cronus would be back in charge, and then BOOM, the Dark Ages would be back with a vengeance. Oy, would that be bad.

_Wait a second, _Hades thought suddenly, wheels turning in his head, _What if Cronus isn't the one who releases the Titans? The ringleader of this whole uprising thingamajig would be eligible to claim the throne of Zeus once Zeus got booted off by the Titans, right? And the gods wouldn't stand a chance against the Titans, like Cronus said, there'd be no way, they'd never be able to defeat 'em _again_ all on their own…_

Why hadn't he thought of this before?! This was too, too perfect. This was _foolproof. _And this meant victory for him if he could pull it off…

"Father," said Hades, smirking deviously in a way that made Pain and Panic, who were cowering against the wall, shudder, "I give you my most _sincere_ thanks, seeing as you've just inspired me with _the _most _brilliant _plan on this side of the River Styx…on _any _side of the River Styx."

Cronus was silent for a few moments. Then he spoke up, hopefully, _**"You're letting me go?"**_

"Hell no," said Hades indignantly, " But I'm letting your little Titan buddies go. In a few years. Depends on when I can get the resources necessary to pull this off. In the meantime…" He mock-saluted, "…enjoy the rest of your eternal punishment, damnation for the rest of time, et cetera, yadda yadda. Have a ball. Pain, Panic, seal this yutz up, okay?"

The two quivered, then leapt to attention as Cronus howled his disapproval.

"Right, sir!" said Panic enthusiactically.

"You can count on us!" added Pain, and the two set to work.

Hades rubbed his hands together in a rather sinister way and exited the area of Cronus' pit to go find out when the opportune time to release the Titans would be.

On a rather unfortunate side-note, let us point out that all thoughts of Persephone and their child were pushed out of Hades' mind.

This was the beginning of an equally as unfortunate obsession…

* * *

~Author's Note~ Well, he had to get the 'release the Titan's' plan from somewhere, right?

While The Real Cosmic Couple displayed a slightly more...romantic side of Hades, I plan to have Little Miss Flames and Flowers show off not just a more fatherly (hehe) side of Hades, but his regular villainous side, too. Because he _is _a villain. He's married and has (will have) a kid, but _he's a villain. _TRCC took place, also, before the entire Hercules/release the Titans thingy...LMFAF takes place literally during it. I mean DURING IT. This is actually taking place behind the scenes of the Hercules movie...or, it will be, once Macaria is born.

(expect dialogue and scenes from the movie in later chapters. i'll try to keep that to a minimum, but hey, sometimes it needs to be done.)

Remember to review me! I loooove reviews... 33


	9. Part 9: Chapter VIII

**_This _Persephone and Macaria are MINE. Anyone who uses them without my permission gets thrown in the Phlegethon River.**

**Everything/everyone else belongs to Disney. Use 'em at your own risk.**

**_Little Miss Flames and Flowers_**

Chapter VIII--Persephone Struggles With Keeping Her Little Secret, and Her Visit to the Underworld Doesn't Go So Well

"Idiots," Persephone muttered under her breath as yet another cluster of goddesses passed, whispering about her and staring at her out of the corner of their eyes.

Three and a half months exactly had passed since she had come back to Earth (that was three and a half months minus a day since Hades had ordered the Underworldians to babyproof his realm; three months since he had gotten the notion to release the Titans).

It had not been easy three-point-five months. She was swelling steadily, her baby growing inside her, but no-one had figured out she was pregnant yet. The rumor spreading around Olympus was so outrageous that Persephone would have laughed if she wasn't so fed up with hearing about it.

They believed that she missed the attention she usually got from Hades, and so to get the attention of Olympus, she was binge-eating and purposely putting on weight.

…Persephone's opinion of Olympus was that they were all mentally challenged.

All anyone had to do to figure out why the hell she was getting so huge was shove her next to Hera and compare the two. When Persephone had arrived on Olympus 3.5 months ago, Zeus, who had apparently been waiting for her to get back to tell everyone, had gathered all of Olympus together and proudly announced that Hera was pregnant for the fifth time. Persephone had nearly gasped out loud when Zeus had revealed that she had been carrying a kid for the exact same time Seph had been…

That meant that the prince or princess of the Underworld would be born around the same time as the prince or princess of Olympus. Weird coincidence.

This fact also worked to her advantage, though, in a way. Everyone was paying so much attention to Hera, it was Hera, Hera, Hera, Hera, Hera, Hera…even Zeus was getting ignored, because it was Hera who was pregnant, Hera who was ill, poor Hera, Hera needed care, Hera, Hera, Hera, Hera…

Persephone hid herself under all the attention Hera was getting. Demeter visited her sister frequently, and spent days on end with her, so Seph was able to hide the fact that she was pregnant pretty easily. And she could have easily made it through the six months without being discovered if she wasn't so homesick.

Sure, it was a good thing of her to be ignored, but she still had issues that needed tending to, and since Olympus was so focused on Hera, Persephone was forced to suffer through her so far 5.5 (approximately. Might've been six. She wasn't keeping track.) month long pregnancy alone. She missed Hades, terribly.

Now she was perched on the edge of a cloud, staring downwards at other clouds and past those, the mortals scattered on Earth. They were so tiny, like little dots. She was so high up.

Nike, the goddess of victory, and Harmonia, the goddess of harmony and balance, slid past behind her. Persephone turned and glared, catching the two in the middle of shooting a disapproving and giggly glance at her.

Persephone scowled and returned her attention back to the clouds and the mortals. Her hands moved to rest on her stomach and she sighed. Part of the stress was keeping her pregnancy a secret. She was happy about it, and would have very much liked to tell someone, to gush about her upcoming child to _someone_…

"That cloud's gonna collapse with _her_ on it," she heard someone whisper behind her. Persephone scowled again, and shakily stood up, spreading her arms for some type of balance.

_Yeah, I have to tell someone about this. _Persephone frowned and placed her hands on her womb again, feeling queasy.

She couldn't tell Demeter. That was a definite.

She couldn't tell Zeus or Poseidon. They wouldn't care. Both looked down on their brother and would only feel the same about her and their child.

Hera maybe? _Oh gods no, _Persephone thought immediately and winced. Two hormonal and pregnant goddesses together in once place, whose husbands were rivals, whose children would grow to probably hate each other…it was a recipe for disaster and a disaster did it prove to be indeed. Persephone probably would have been thrown off a cloud by now, if it hadn't been for Bacchus and Hermes running to split the two goddesses apart. If they had come any later, either Persephone or Hera would have been lying in ichor-y pieces on the floor.

_I can tell Aph_, thought Persephone suddenly. The two couldn't be any different from each other (Aphrodite was vain and prissy and girly and bubbly and all about love, whilst Persephone couldn't care less about looks, was sarcastic, nasty, gothic in a way, the Queen of the frickin' _Underworld_…), however for some weird reason that Persephone didn't know, the two were practically best friends. Opposites attracted, apparently. Demeter approved of Aphrodite and during Persephone's childhood imprisonment in her and Demeter's earthly cottage, the goddess of love had visited her frequently and since Demeter had cut her off from the rest of Olympus, little Persephone had grown on her. They rarely spoke during the winter/fall (Aph thought the Underworld was "icky") but were together on many occasions during the spring/summer. And Aphrodite was, after all, the one who had remarried Seph and Hades…

"Persephone," said Demeter suddenly, her voice sickeningly cheerful and cutting into her train of thought like a big knife. Persephone winced and turned around.

"Sephy, sweetheart," Demeter continued brightly, flitting over to her daughter and wrapping a green arm around Persephone's waist, "Why are you all the way over here, on the edge of this cloud? I don't want you all by yourself, sweetie, come with me, we'll go back to the cottage, and you can work in the fields while I go talk to Hera, okay? Sephy? How does that sound? Okay?"

Persephone groaned. Of _course _she had to appear now. Of course. She sighed softly; Aph would have to wait. She could keep her secret a secret for a little longer. No problem.

…Ugh.

* * *

It was the next day and Persephone was again perched on a cloud. Demeter and Hestia had been talking for the past…half hour. She had tuned them out, but she was bored, so now she tuned back in to see what was so fascinating…

They were talking about the eternal fire of the hearth, like they had been doing before she had decided to tune them out. Persephone clenched her teeth in a sort of a scowl. How could two people talk about something like this for hours?! It wasn't even something! It was _nothing_. It was a fire, that didn't go out, ever, big whoop-dee-freaking-doo, but they had managed to talk about it and talk about it and talk about it…

Persephone didn't groan like was her instinct, but she _did_ sigh to express her annoyance. Her mother and aunt ignored her and continued their mindless conversation. Persephone cast an irritated glance at them, placed a fluttery hand on her womb, and sighed again.

The eternal fire…

…fire…

Fire was…

Fire was Hades…

Persephone trembled and then without warning burst into miserable tears and vanished. A formerly very ignorant Demeter blinked and paused in her chatter, staring, confused, down at the spot where her daughter had just been perched.

* * *

"I can't do this any longer," Persephone whispered furiously, pacing around her room like a caged animal. She stepped cautiously over the tons and dozens of thorny branches and vines she had (subconsciously) created in her anger and frustration.

"I can't," she repeated, "I _can't!_"

Her mother had tried, and failed, to get her to come out from solitary, to communicate with her in some way. The stupid woman couldn't understand what was troubling her. She had given up after a few dozen thistles had shot out of the door in her direction.

Persephone knew Demeter wouldn't try to intrude again. She was alone for the night. And that gave her just enough time to sneak down to the Underworld and see her husband, and then sneak quickly back.

_And she'll never even know I was gone. _Persephone smirked.

* * *

Unfortunately for the goddess, she was tired. Cranky. Upset. Moody. And on top of that, pregnant. When Seph snapped her fingers, planning to appear in their bedroom, or maybe the throne room, she didn't.

_Brilliant. Freaking _brilliant. _All the places in the Underworld…and _I _land in the _Styx.

Persephone scowled bitterly, took a breath and tried not to freak out. The shockingly cool waters would have been refreshing if not for the souls literally swirling around her. If she was mortal, Persephone had a feeling that she would have drowned in a matter of moments. The ghosts were creating a type of whirlpool around her.

Persephone knew that the shades of the Underworld had a tendency to try and pull people in the river or by the riverbank underwater and so all she did was hold her breath as cold and eerily dead hands grasped at her arms. Besides, she didn't have the strength to swim, not now.

To her surprise, instead of pulling her in, they pushed her (gently. She was shocked.) to Charon's drifting and passenger-less boat. Some groped at her midsection and she winced automatically.

Coughing, Persephone managed to get herself over the edge of the boat. She lay on the floor after tumbling in, looking and feeling like a drowned rat. She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to imagine that she wasn't wet, cold, uncomfortable, and achy.

Charon looked down sharply without eyes at the unexpected passenger on his boat. After eyelessly blinking, confused, he pointed to a sign positioned on the riverbank with his bargepole. "Can't you read?" he snarled, and then read it for her in case the stranger couldn't, "_No Swimming in the River Styx._"

Persephone coughed again and glared up at Charon, her eyes flying open. "Charon."

He only glared back at her, inspecting her closely. Suddenly, he blinked again. "You're alive," he observed with a little scowl.

"_Charon_," said Persephone.

He glared at her again, cruelly. "And with another live one, too. Two for one. Ooh." He moved his barge pole over to her side, about to push her overboard.

_Idiot!_ She fumed and quickly sat up, coughed again, tossed her hair away from her face and scowled up at him and his idiocy. "Charon! You moron. It's _me,_ Persephone. For the love of Olympus, Charon…" She shook her head indignantly and rolled her eyes.

The ferryman let out a choked gasp and snapped to attention, shrinking under the glare of his second master.

"L-Lady Persephone," Charon stammered, "I….I didn't….uh…you….it's n-not….autumn yet­—"

"I need to see Hades," she told him flatly, "And I need to see him, like, A.S.A.P. Can you do that for me? Do ya think you'll be able to accomplish that task?" Her voice turned sarcastic towards the end. Charon nodded rapidly.

"Excellent," Persephone said, "Now row me to shore, _please_, and make it quick, I have to be home by morning, otherwise my mother'll flip."

"Yes ma'am," said Charon and stuck his barge pole in the murky waters. Several souls that were swimming aimlessly there were hit and they melted into one another like some sort of slime.

Persephone was silent as they rowed down the river. There was something different here, she realized, but she didn't know what it was.

More silence filled the air. Persephone blinked as her violet eyes fell upon a fence that wound around the river bank. She twisted her head around to stare at the opposite bank. There was a fence there, too. A few bat-winged green things fluttered around the fence, checking to see if it was secure. They saw her in the boat and saluted with clawed hands, their yellow and red eyes focused on the Queen and their scaly mouths open to reveal rows of jagged fangs set in a grin. Persephone tore her eyes away from the creatures and turned to a silent Charon, still pushing his pole through the waters of the river Styx. The creatures turned and choppily flew away.

"Fences?" questioned Persephone, her head tilting. She tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. It was wet with Stygian water.

"Yup," said Charon.

Persephone glanced back behind her. Some kind of grayish demon lumbered along the bank. It had maroon spots on its back and legs that could have been blood; Persephone shuddered and again turned to Charon.

"Why?" she pressed.

Charon glanced at her, their eyes (or lack thereof in Charon's case) met. "Didn't Hades tell you?"

"Tell me what?"

Charon grinned twistedly. A gnarled hand adjusted the black cape tied 'round his neck.

"Tell me _what_?" Persephone pressed, and Charon's twisted grin grew.

"Ask him yourself," said Charon and the boat bumped against the bank.

Persephone sighed and stepped awkwardly out of the boat. She stood on the bank, just behind the gate that was stuck firmly in the mud. The goddess placed a hand on it to steady herself and glanced behind her. Charon was already rowing away.

"This is great," Persephone said under her breath. How the hell was she supposed to climb a fence now? She was wet and tired and pregnant for Zeus' sake…

She tentatively placed a foot on a gap in the fence, both hands clutching at the fence as she tried to keep her balance.

But the stupid Stygian water had soaked the sandals strapped to her feet and made them all slippery; plus, the gate was already slicked down from water being repeatedly splashed on it all day. Her hands slid off the top of the fence and her sandal slipped off the bottom of the fence and with a loud, high-pitched shriek, Persephone fell backwards into the water of the river Styx.

Again.

"OH, JUST KILL ME NOW," Persephone screamed, agitated, sitting up _again_ and pushing her soaking hair out of her face_ again. _

"Stupid…" she hissed under her breath, but before she could finish the thought (and the remainder of the thought would most definitely _not_ have been G-rated), she became aware of another presence standing over her.

Well, looking down at her from the other side of the fence. Persephone's annoyed violet eyes traveled upwards to meet a pair of yellow eyes, belonging to her currently very amused husband. She supposed he had poofed here when she had screamed. Hades currently was looking at her with a raised eyebrow and an expression that said, 'this is the funniest thing in the world.' It made her already flared temper rise a few levels.

"Laugh and I kill you," was Persephone's growled statement, spoken before he could even get a word out.

* * *

"Aren't you charming," said Meg, laughing.

Persephone flicked a lock of hair over her shoulder, glowered at the Grecian mortal, and said huffily, "Shut up."

Hercules decided it was safer not to even comment.

* * *

~Author's Note~ Sorry for chapter delay! :3


	10. Part 10: Chapter IX

**_This _Persephone and Macaria are MINE. Anyone who uses them without my permission gets thrown in the Phlegethon River.**

**Everything/everyone else belongs to Disney. Use 'em at your own risk.**

**_Little Miss Flames and Flowers_**

Chapter IX--Hades Reveals His Plan to Persephone, the Baby Moves, and Persephone Plots to Tell Demeter

It was really quite hard to choke down the tidal wave of snickers that had risen in his throat, but Persephone looked _explosive_ and Hades had a sneaking suspicion that she'd find a way to carry out her threat somehow, never mind the immortality thing that stood in the way. So he swallowed his laughter despite the difficulty and peered down at his unexpected visitor with a relatively straight face, his forearm draped casually over the fence.

Persephone groaned, soaking wet and cold and miserable, lying on her back with Stygian water washing over her and mud gathering along her back and hair. Her eyes hadn't left Hades (although they had closed for a few moments) and now her expression turned less violent and more along the lines of….sulky.

"_Why_ is there a _fence_ around the river Styx?!" Persephone hissed, her teeth tightly clenched. She squeezed her eyes shut, still lying in the river. Something swam over and pulled at her hair; she let out a yelp and her eyes flew open in alarm.

Hades scowled at the offending shade (it slithered away in the water, like a giant eel) and twisted his hand around. The hand that had been twisted dissolved into thick smoke (along with the rest of his arm) and he without a word reached over the fence and picked up Persephone as if she weighed nothing. Depositing her on his side of the fence, she teetered on her feet for a second, and then nearly collapsed against him. Hades caught her and tilted his head.

"You fell in the river?" Hades said, his voice skeptical.

Persephone scowled. "Oh, yes. Yes. Not _once_, no, oh no, not once, but _twice._"

Hades blinked. "_How_ did you manage to do that?"

Persephone reached a hand up and placed it on her forehead, squeezing her eyes shut again as a headache fell upon her. Her face contorted into a grimace. "I tried to…poof here. I don't…I wasn't concentrating, and the _kid_ inside me interfered." Persephone opened her eyes and glanced down at said child, resting in her womb and paying no attention to the conversation around it.

"Oh, fine, blame the half-developed one," scoffed Hades with an eyeroll. This evoked a look from Persephone and a smirk in return from him; the next moment he had taken her hand and vanished in a plume of smoke with her.

* * *

They appeared in Hades' throne room (at this time of year, it was his) and Persephone immediately went over and sank into Hades' throne. Hades positioned himself next to the chair and looked down at her, leaning against the wall. Politeness and all that. Better to let the pregnant lady sit rather then make her stand and risk getting murdered for it by her later that day.

"I'm guessing Demeter has no clue where ya are right now," Hades spoke finally with his eyebrow crooked after a few minutes of silence. Persephone sighed.

"She doesn't know I left." Persephone sighed again, squeezing the bridge of her nose, her eyes closed again. _Why does my life have to be so complicated?_ Persephone wondered for the millionth time in her immortal lifetime, _Why do other girls get to run off and get married and have babies while I go do that and end up still tethered to my mother? Why? Why am I being _tortured, _dammit?_

"You're gonna get her mad," Hades warned wryly, taking her hand in his and absentmindedly squeezing it as she continued to pinch the bridge of her nose.

"Too late for that," Persephone muttered, "'Sides, she'll probably be too preoccupied with Hera to be mad for long, so I suppose I'm safe…"

Hades blinked and cocked his head. "Hera?"

Persephone opened her eyes and sat up. "You didn't hear?" she said, astonished, "I though Zeus told everyone. He's been bragging about it nonstop."

"Well, I don't typically get informed about happenings above ground," Hades said dryly, "Hello? 'Member? This is me we're talkin' about, the official outcast of Olympus."

"Don't say that," Persephone said sharply, "Sure, you're not….um….popular on Olympus, but you're not the 'official outcast'—"

"I am, actually," Hades spoke with a roll of his eyes, "Forget that, though babe, 'nother story for another time…now, what'd the Queen of Olympus and Jealous Rages do now that's so important?"

Persephone blew out a sigh and rested her chin in her hands, her elbow leaning on the arm of the throne. "She's pregnant, too," she informed Hades matter-of-factly, then shrank back just a bit as his jaw dropped and he flared.

"How the hell did _that_ happen?!" Hades gasped, his eyes widening, "What kind of a weird coincidence is that?!"

Persephone shrugged. "It is weird, right? Zeus knocked her up at the same time you did to me," she shot him a dry smile, "So the prince or princess of the Underworld is gonna be born at the same time as the prince or princess of Olympus. Crazy, huh?"

"Bizarre," Hades said disgustedly, "'Course, that means that _our_ kid is gonna be neglected 'cuz of the appearance of _Zeus'_ brat…"

"He or she would have gotten neglected anyway," Persephone rolled her eyes.

"Sucks being unpopular, huh?" Hades agreed monotonously, "Outside of the in-crowd. I feel like we're in high school."

Persephone smiled at this.

"So why're you here?" Hades asked, leaning back against the wall that was behind his throne. The dusty curtains draped across the wall that served as almost wallpaper made a little puff of dust in the air when Hades leaned against them.

Persephone shifted in Hades' throne to look at him. "I missed you," she answered.

Hades smirked. "Is that so? You're not just here 'cuz Demeter was getting under your skin again?"

"I'm not allowed to miss you?"

"S'not like it's the first time you're away from me, we do this every year and ya never snuck back to see me."

"I've never been pregnant before," Persephone explained briefly, with a raised eyebrow. She folded her arms.

Hades shifted again so that he was standing next to the throne. "I see your point," he glanced to her and nodded, a little smirk twisting up on his face.

They were both silent for a few moments. Persephone sighed.

"I hate it up there," she grumbled, frowning, "So busy, so crowded, so bright, so cheerful. I don't know why you want to live up there. Personally, I think it's better down h—why do you look so excited?" She paused and tilted her head; her husband's expression had changed dramatically in a matter of seconds, at the mention of the takeover of Olympus.

"I almost forgot to tell you," Hades said excitedly, and then he vanished in his trademark poof of smoke, reappearing by the huge chessboard in the center of the room. Persephone's gaze was curious as he beckoned her over to him.

Rising unsteadily from the throne, Persephone strode over to where her husband was and peered down at all the delicate pieces.

"Okay, so," started Hades, drumming a few fingers on the edge of the board, facing her, "I got this idea, 'kay, this brilliant, _brilliant _plan. It's, like, fail-proof. Trust me." He purposely left out just _where_ he had gotten this idea, knowing she'd be quite unhappy about it, and with good reason to…

"So, look," Hades continued, "'Member how way back when, beginning of time, back in the ye old ages, before all the gods were the power tyrants of the Earth, the Titans were in charge of the world?" Persephone nodded, and Hades moved a few pieces—Zeus, Hera—over to the side and replaced them with a clay Cronus and Rhea, placing them dead center.

"And me, Poseidon, Hestia, Demeter, Hera, we all got swallowed," Hades' voice had somewhat of a bitter edge to it and he knocked the aforementioned off the board. The five pieces clattered to the floor. "In a few years, Zeusie, ya know, the unswallowed one, he grew into big-kid-hood and decided he was fabulous enough to take on the King of the Titans. Kid was smart, though….sort of….and he realized that he couldn't just kinda go up to the most powerful thing in the universe and shove him off his throne all by himself. So what's he do? He poisons the most powerful thing in the universe, and guess who gets puked up?" Hades bent and picked up the five pieces that he had scattered on the floor. The Zeus piece that had been cast aside was positioned next to Cronus, and the other five pieces were arranged carefully behind him.

"Go on," said Persephone sweetly.

"All us gods, we were young, strong, fit despite being trapped in a stomach for sixteen years, and we teamed up—ya know, teamwork works, babe," He grinned cynically, " and we defeated the Titans, knocked 'em right off the big mountain known as Olympus, happily ever after. For most of us, anyway," Hades added, staring with disdain down at his chessboard likeness.

"Hades," said Persephone earnestly, "I know this story already. What are you getting at?"

Hades flared up, his hair retaining its normal cheerful blue as he became more excited.

"See, the only reason we were able to defeat the Titans was because we were young, in shape, strong, prepared. The Titans, they _weren't. _Used to the life of luxury. A bunch of lumps accustomed to lounging about paradise," Hades told his wife eagerly, "The Olympians, the first 12 plus 2, they were ready to fight. They were made for fighting." A slow grin spread across his face. "But _now_ look at them."

He waved his hand and smoke curled out from the digits, 12 different silhouettes appearing in the grey. The Olympians, present-day.

"They're all either extremely old or extremely fat. Or just….weak," said Hades, and Persephone had to agree.

"If someone," Hades continued, "were to, oh, let the imprisoned Titans _out_, well, then…" His slow grin twisted into a scarily devious grin, "What chance would the gods have to defend themselves against them?"

Persephone blinked. She stared at him with wide eyes. And said nothing as her mind began to race under mounds of blonde hair…

He didn't mean….he couldn't mean…

Hades waved his hand, the sudden motion breaking her away from her skeptical, unfinished thoughts. He paced around the chessboard as he continued to speak to her.

"And once all the gods were overthrown by the Titans, the guy in _charge_ of the Titans would be right in line to take the King of the Gods…._former_ King of the Gods' place."

He paused, then twisted around and smirked at her. "Right?"

Persephone was speechless, but her thoughts were screaming.

_Are you out of your mind?! You can't release the Titans, they're locked up for a reason, they'll hurt you, they'll destroy the world, and Zeus knows what else, you've got to be kidding me, Hades, you can't possibly be serious,_ Persephone wanted to scream, _And hel_lo_, we've got a _kid_ to worry about, it's not just gonna be my safety, your safety, you're bringing someone else into this, too, gods, Hades—_

"That's great," Persephone forced a smile and kept her thoughts to herself. Probably a mistake in the grand scheme of things.

But she didn't think he was actually serious about this. This was hard-core, dangerous, risky, life-threatening…and Hades wasn't stupid, wasn't _that_ power-crazy….right?

"Isn't it?" Hades grinned, not picking up on her forced cheerful tone. He swiftly arranged his pieces back in the order he had had them before.

"Of course, I'm gonna need a little while to get things ready. I don't have enough power just yet to let 'em all go, I need, like, a boost or something…" He looked thoughtful, "I'm thinking about talkin' to the Fates 'bout it, see when I can do this, what I can use, but they're just _so_ busy, all the time, cutting stupid little threads—"

"Those stupid little threads increase your business," Persephone reminded him.

Hades rolled his eyes. "Whatever," he waved his hand indifferently, "I just want answers, ya know? I won't need business if I'm up on Olympus."

Persephone nodded, trailing a finger absentmindedly along the edge of the chessboard as she leaned against it, her other hand draped across her swollen womb. She blinked suddenly as a thought occurred to her.

"Hey!" said Persephone, giving Hades an indignant look, "You never answered my question!"

He turned to face her, tilted his head, and furrowed his brow. "Question?" he echoed, puzzled as he tried to remember.

"Why are there gates around the river Styx?" Persephone repeated her previous question accusingly, putting her hands on her hips, "That's why I fell in the river, you know, I couldn't climb over like….this," And she gestured to the baby.

Hades blinked. With wide eyes, he blinked again—Persephone thought to herself that he looked like an owl—and then shifted, glancing awkwardly down at the floor.

"Well…" Hades said, shrugging uncomfortably. His unfinished sentence hung in the air.

"Well?" said Persephone, "Well what? What did you do?"

"Just…" He shrugged, "I dunno, I just, like, figured that since when you got back to the Underworld, you'd be, like, almost ready to have that thing—" He pointed at the "thing" with a long grey finger, "—so I just kinda thought that I'd, like, get a head start on things." He shrugged again. "Y'know. Just so our kid doesn't get drowned or impaled or something bizarre like that."

Persephone stared at him, stunned, a slow smile curling over her lips. "And you thought you'd have no idea how to raise a child," she spoke in an I-told-you-so way and smirked. Hades, embarrassed, flushed slightly pink. It was a hidden fact that Hades turned orange when mad, flared blue when happy, and turned pink when embarrassed.

"Yeah, well," Hades shrugged again, trying to remain indifferent, "Just…y'know, just, I needed something to do to keep myself busy." He shrugged for the fourth time, and Persephone grinned at him.

"Gods, you amuse me," she sighed, and smirking Hades vanished and reappeared with his arms around her, his hand flat on her stomach and her hand over his.

"Good to know," he snickered, "Ya know, make sure you tell Demeter that I know what the hell I'm doing when it comes to fatherhood or whatever. She already hates me, I don't want her to think that I'm not equipped to handle a child or something."

Persephone nodded, flashing him a smile. "I really doubt that when we tell her, she'll be thinking 'oh, gee, I sure hope he takes care of the kid.' I think her thoughts would be more along the lines of, 'oh-my-gods, there's devil spawn growing in my daughter!'"

"Thank you," said Hades flatly.

"_I _don't think our kid is gonna be devil's spawn," Persephone sniffed, "_Please_, Hades." She rolled her eyes.

"Poor kid," Hades mused, "'Devil's spawn.' What a title…" He sighed and glanced down at his wife's protruding middle, his hand positioned on top of it, "Kid's gonna be labeled for life." Hades shrugged. "Kid can't help it's parents, th—" His words were cut off with a gasp and Hades jumped away from Persephone, startled, staring with wide-eyes at her and their child.

The thing had freaking _moved_, it had kicked him, scaring him half to death, and weirding him out more then a little. Persephone's reaction to it was different; she was grinning as she felt the first motions of her kid inside her, while Hades still stared and struggled not to hyperventilate.

"There's something _in_ there," he gasped out, stunned, and Persephone looked up at him with a crooked eyebrow.

"_Duh_," she said, "Did you think I was swelling with hot air?"

"I just didn't…" He gulped and catiously inched back to her, like he was afraid the bump was going to bite him, or something or the sort.

The baby kicked again and Persephone felt it against her hand, wincing just a little. _Wonderful, now I get to be beaten up from the inside,_ she thought dryly. And Persephone could swear there was a weird kind of heat in her stomach, like something…some_one_ was flaring inside of her, but she dismissed it as her imagination. Since the heat went a way after a few seconds, Persephone was sure that it had been all in her head.

"We _do_ have to tell Demeter, you know," Persephone spoke again, giving Hades a glance. He was standing next to her again, but purposely taking care not to touch anything that was gonna kick him again…

Hades paled, and frowned. "But she'll kill me," Hades whined, folding his arms stubbornly.

"She won't kill you," Persephone scoffed.

"Think of it from her point of view," said Hades, "Guy you despise kidnaps your daughter, daughter somehow falls in love with despised guy, years pass, all of a sudden, still despised guy knocks her up with some 'disgusting devil spawn thing.' She's _not_ gonna kill me for that?"

Persephone grimaced. "But we still have to tell her!" she said desperately, "You want to wait until I go into labor to tell her? You think she'll be mad _now_, she'll be furious if we just suddenly surprise her like that!" Tears welled up in her eyes suddenly and her voice broke as she continued, not exactly sure why she was crying, but crying nevertheless, "We have to _tell_ her, give her time to get used to it or something, she has to know, gods, Hades—"

"Alright, alright, alright," Hades said quickly, panicking a little as tears spilled out of her violet eyes, "Fine, we'll tell her, but be prepared to pick up what's left of me after it's all over, okay?"

Persephone smiled through her tears, and sniffed, rubbing at her eyes. "Thank you," she sighed, then brightened suddenly, "Are you busy tomorrow?"

Hades stared at her. Mood swings….bizarre. "Tomorrow?" he stammered, "Uh, I don't—"

"Come up to Olympus tomorrow," Persephone told him cheerfully, "And we'll tell Demeter together. Okay?"

Hades winced. "I…I guess, but—"

"Excellent!" said Persephone, beaming. She blinked, and cocked her head, and then groaned, scowled. "Damn. I think I have to leave."

"Don't try teleporting on your own, who knows where you'll end up," Hades warned her, "And when you get home, change your clothes, you're soaking wet, Demeter's gonna notice something's up—"

"_Gods_, you worry too much," Persephone sighed and rolled her eyes, "Alright, alright, chill out. Can you teleport me?" She blinked and smiled hesitantly at him, clasping her hands together pleadingly.

"Done," he said, and she stepped over to him and hugged him.

"Tomorrow. Remember," she commanded in a low voice.

"Mentally noted," Hades answered and grinning at her, and kissing her briefly, her waved his hands and the goddess disappeared in a puff of black smoke, hopefully back up to her room up on Olympus.

Hades immediately went and sunk into his throne.

"Tomorrow," he muttered, "Oy vey." The Lord of the Dead sighed, tapping an irritated finger against his temples.

"I need to write a will," Hades said under his breath and slumped lower in his throne.


	11. Part 11: Chapter X

**_This _Persephone and Macaria are MINE. Anyone who uses them without my permission gets thrown in the Phlegethon River.**

**Everything/everyone else belongs to Disney. Use 'em at your own risk.**

**_Little Miss Flames and Flowers_**

Chapter X--It Just Slips Out

Persephone recalled being poofed up to Mt. Olympus, up to her now dark room in her mother's palace—all the candles had burned out, she had been gone for so long.

The goddess took a step into her room and nearly fell flat on her face. Thistles and vines still littered the floor from her previous bad mood. Persephone waved her hand and instantly at her command, the agriculture moved and cleared the floor, crawling up the walls eerily, giving the room a jungle look.

Taking a match from a nightstand (made of wheat woven together—it was ironic that matches were stored there, because the unique piece of furniture was extremely flammable), Persephone relit the candles scattered around her room and then sank onto her bed, squirming as her damp dress was pressed to her skin.

"Ugh," Persephone groaned. She undid the pomegranate at her shoulder, letting the fabric that had been held in place by it drop to the floor. Another wave of her hand (she was lazy) and she was changed into something that she could sleep in.

Persephone tugged on the pale green sleeve of her dress, and as she did so, she caught sight of herself in the mirror, swollen womb and all. She paused and turned, a glowing pink hand tentatively placed on the curved surface.

"Jeez," she muttered under her breath as she felt the baby move inside her. In a matter of months, she'd be a mother. And Hades would be a father. And there'd be a prince…or a princess in the Underworld.

She fully acknowledged that she didn't currently have nor (most likely) would she acquire in the next few months the skills needed to raise a kid. Persephone was completely unaware of, uh, techniques needed, or whatever. To make matters _so much better_, she knew Hades was just as inexperienced if not more then she was.

After all, he had spent sixteen of his first years alive in his father's stomach. Hardly an example of good parenting.

She stepped back and sat on her bed, her legs dangling off the edge with her ankles crossed. Her hand was still on her stomach and she sighed, tapping a few fingers gently against it as her mind wandered.

Persephone's wandering mind was abruptly brought back to where it was supposed to be (wherever that might have been) when a knock sounded at the door.

With a gasp, she stood up, startled. Her blond hair, usually so carefully tucked behind her ears and out of the way, was messy and disheveled, falling into her face and in her path of view. Persephone tucked the locks away and bit her lip as a voice chimed out from the other side of the door:

"Persephone, dear?" it was Demeter's voice, curious and puzzled in a sickeningly innocent way, "Are you still awake?"

Persephone hesitated, her eyes wide. "Uh…a little," she responded, wincing as she hurriedly moved back to seat herself on her bed.

"What are you doing up at this hour?" Demeter demanded, and Persephone could, quite clearly, picture her mother standing with her hands on her wide hips, clothed in a green nightgown that fell all the way to the ground, circling around her when there was no more room for the remaining fabric to go.

"I..." started Persephone uneasily, and then she twisted the question and fired it back at her, "What are _you_ doing up at this hour?"

The goddess on the other side paused. "I heard you moving around," she flatly responded, "You shouldn't be up at this late. Is something wrong?"

Persephone heard her rattle the doorknob around, to no avail. Seph had locked it before leaving.

Demeter sarcastically asked, "May I come in?" after a few minutes of fiddling with the door.

Persephone remained silent.

"Sephy," said Demeter through probably clenched teeth.

Persephone's look darkened and she swung the door open. As her mother strode into the room, Persephone fixed her with a glare and hissed, "Don't _call_ me that."

"Whatever," she rolled her eyes and waved her green hand. Demeter's leafy headdress was off, a rarity, and her orange hair hung loosely down, not quite reaching her shoulders, but instead hanging down her neck. If not for the weight issue and the disgusting personality that took away a lot from her appearance, Demeter could have passed for 'pretty.'

Barely.

"Mother," said Persephone, folding her hands in her lap as she sat on the edge of her bed, again, "If you want me to go to bed, well, it's not gonna happen if you're stalking me like this."

"I'm not stalking you," she sniffed, "I'm simply checking on—"

"You mean you're stalking me."

Demeter rolled her eyes. "I'm _not_—"

She cut off abruptly as Persephone jammed two pillows over her ears, scowling.

"How very rude," muttered Demeter, folding her arms. Subconsciously, her blue eyes traveled to Persephone's protruding middle, and said goddess noticed her staring with distaste and dropped the pillows in astonished fury.

"Hypocrite," she said bitterly.

"I said nothing," said Demeter, raising an eyebrow and moving to her side, her hands clasped together.

"You're thinking it."

"I didn't say it."

"You're still a hypocrite."

Demeter sighed. "Well, Sephy, dear…"

"Sephy?" said Persephone coldly.

"Seph," said Demeter, glaring at her as she corrected herself, "Please, you have to admit that…that your, um, figure is getting…" She waved her hands desperately as she searched for a word to use, Persephone glaring darkly at her all the while.

"…wider," said Demeter finally.

Persephone raised an eyebrow and stayed silent, her lips settling into a pressed line. _I hate you,_ she hissed internally.

"Just…it's not that I….that I have a problem with it or anything," said Demeter, quickly continuing, "But don't you think that, uh, your, um, weight is getting a little out of hand?"

"You're one to talk!" Persephone snapped finally, "I mean, look at you! You're like a whale with legs!"

"This isn't about me," Demeter snapped back, "This is about _you_. You're only gaining weight because you're away from that creature and now look at you; you're all…all…all—"

"Say it," sneered Persephone, folding her arms.

Demeter hesitated.

But Persephone's gaze didn't waiver and finally Demeter sighed and admitted, flatly, "You're fat."

"You're one to _talk_," Persephone hissed again. Where had this conversation even come from? It had started off because her mother had wanted to know why she was still awake. And here they were. Subject totally changed.

Persephone was tired, after traveling to the Underworld and back, and since it was, like, 3 in the morning, all she wanted to do was go to bed before the sun came up and it was too late.

"You are, though," said Demeter. Suddenly, her voice was patient, "Don't you think that maybe, I don't know, you should cut back a little on the, uh, food, maintain your BMI a little better—"

"I'm not 'fat,'" Persephone finally interjected. She was mad, yes, but her racing hormones only pushed her to the end of her rope.

"You're not," echoed Demeter in that same flat tone, her temper also pushed to its limit, "_No_, of course not. What are you, then?"

Persephone met her mother's word with a silent look, her eyes narrowed.

"If you're not fat, then what are you?" Demeter repeated.

"I'm _not_ fat," hissed Persephone.

"Then what exactly _are_ you? You're not _thin_, and you're not _fat_, so then what?"

Her temper surged. Then suddenly she was standing up, glowering down at her mother. Demeter instantly rose to meet her, however the fact that Persephone was in fact taller then her subtracted from the menacing effect.

"I am not," Persephone repeated slowly, scowling, "_fat._"

"Then what _are_ you?!" Demeter blew up at her, raising her volume, sarcastically adding just as loudly, "I suppose you're pregnant, right? Is that it? That's it, right, that's why you're all bloated, is that _right_?"

And, losing her temper and sense of good judgment completely, Persephone screamed at the top of her lungs, "YES, IT IS!"

This was met with silence. Simultanously, mother and daughter's eyes widened.

"Tell me that was sarcasm," said Demeter in a shocked and quiet way.

Persephone, whose hands were clamped over her own mouth in horror, weakly shook her head 'no.'

Demeter stared at her, and then took a gulp of air in and screamed at the top of her lungs:

"_**HADES!!!**_"

* * *

Persephone winced at the memory, but Hercules and Meg looked somewhat amused.

"Smooth," sneered Meg, studying her fingernails as she commented.

Persephone brought a hand to her forehead and scowled. "I was annoyed and hormonal. It just slipped out…leave me alone." She winced.

There was a pause. Hercules broke it eagerly, waving his hand and exclaiming, "Continue, please."

Persephone nodded, then continued where she had left off.

* * *

Persephone guessed that most of Olympus had jumped up, wide awake, at the sound of Demeter's bellow. Certainly they must have, because Hades had heard it ("Clearly," he had described later, "It was like she was right next to me, I swear.") from down in the Underworld. In a matter of moments, Hades had appeared, startled, in Persephone's room, and was immediately backed up against a wall by a practically red-with-fury Demeter. Stunned, he shrunk back, helpless as Demeter proceeded to scream at him for almost a full minute.

"What'd I do?" Hades gasped out, his eyes wide.

"What did you do," Demeter repeated scornfully, "_What did you do. _You know _damn_ well what you did, you disgusting…disgusting…RAPIST!"

Both Hades and Persephone stared at her in astonishment.

"_Mom_," said Persephone with narrowed eyes.

"Before you rip my head off," cut Hades, inching away from Demeter and casually moving to stand behind Persephone, "Ya wanna maybe tell me _why_ I'm getting my head ripped off?!"

Persephone hung her head. "It just slipped out," she apologized sheepishly, turning to face him. Hades blinked.

"What happened to 'we'll tell her tomorrow, don't forget?'" Hades said finally, staring down at her, "I was all set for tomorrow. What happened to tomorrow?"

"When did this happen?" wailed Demeter before Persephone could respond, "How long have you been hiding this? Why didn't you tell anyone?!"

"Because you would have reacted horribly," replied Persephone fiercely,.

"But I'm not reacting horribly now, right?" Demeter said.

"…No," Persephone admitted reluctantly, and Hades, behind her, looked relieved.

Relieved until, that is, Demeter whirled around to glare at him, shrieking, "I'LL CASTRATE YOU, I _SWEAR_ I WILL! HOW'S _THAT_ FOR HORRIBLE?!"

Hades stumbled back, away from her, as Persephone shoved her away from _him_.

At the same time, the door banged open, revealing a crowd of confused Olympians standing there.

"BOTH OF YOU KNOCK IT OFF," Persephone demanded, "_Try_ and behave like civil adults here, okay? _No castrating,_" she turned and snarled to Demeter, who rolled her eyes and sent Hades her best I'm-going-to-castrate-you-anyway look, which he shrank back from.

"I've been pregnant for five months, "said Persephone, ignoring the astonished stares of the crowd by the door. Thoughtfully, she added, "Or something like that." She glared at Demeter, who was glaring at Hades, who in turn was glaring back at her.

_Glaring triangle. Weird, _thought Persephone.

She continued, "And I didn't tell you because I figured you'd freak out. Not something I need."

"You're pregnant, too?" said Hera, flatly, shoving her way to the front of the crowd. Persephone pointedly ignored her.

Demeter was silent. Hades, equally as silent, crept back up behind Persephone and stayed there, glowering nervously at Demeter. When she whipped her head around and sent a glare back his way, he took a step backwards. Again.

"Mother, stop intimidating my husband," Persephone snapped irritably.

"Your rapist," Demeter mildly corrected; Hades flared and Persephone scowled.

"Obnoxious," Hades muttered, and Demeter responded with an indignant shriek:

"_I'm_ obnoxious?! Am I the one who impregnanted a girl half my age with….with…_demon spawn?_"

"Demon spawn?!" Persephone fumed.

"Hah. Told you so," said Hades under his breath.

"So what do you plan on doing?" hissed Demeter, beginning to pace around the couple. Persephone winced and compared her mentally to a shark circling its prey.

Or a whale. Whichever.

"You expect to go through these remaining months and actually give _birth_ to this thing? Imagine what it'll look like! You've got his genes mixed with yours, that'll be one hell of an ugly baby, and Zeus knows what powers it'll inherit—"

"I don't know, actually," murmured Zeus, standing by the door with Hera.

Demeter ignored him. "And it's person_al_ity, too, gods, can you imagine?! Do you realize what a monster you'll be releasing to the world?! You're going to have the spawn of a demon running about, and you act like this is so _normal_," she hissed.

"How do you know that our baby is gonna turn into a monster?" retorted Persephone.

"LOOK WHO THE FATHER IS."

Hades looked insulted as the rest of the gods nodded silently in agreement.

"You're disgusting," Hades and Persephone spat simultaneously, then glanced at each other, amused at their unrehearsed sync.

"If you expect me to take care of you while that thing inside you _grows_, then you are sadly mistaken," Demeter announced bitterly, "You might as well go back to the Underworld now, 'cuz you're most certainly not welcome here at this time."

Persephone resisted the urge to roll her eyes. What a threat that was.

"I will then," sniffed Persephone, allowing Hades to wrap his arms around her, and _not_ snickering when the baby moved just slightly again and Hades blinked, "Seeya in a long while, mom."

And the two disappeared.

* * *

"She _let_ you _leave_?" gasped out Hercules, stunned.

Persephone nodded, looking pleased. "Second kindest thing she's ever done for me," Persephone beamed.

"Second?" said Meg, "What was the first?"

"You'll find out," said Persephone mysteriously. Meg shrugged and returned to nonchalantly examining her nails.

"But she _let you leave_," insisted Hercules, "What happened to the Earth? Did the Earth shrivel up and die?"

"Well, yeah," admitted Persephone, "A little."

"And she didn't try to get you to come back?"

"Oh, she did. I just wouldn't," replied Seph, "I mean, Hades was taking good care of me in the Underworld, the baby was growing well, I was happy, and there was no need for me to come back on Earth? Why? So I could be ignored by my mother and screamed at by Hera? Nuh-uh. She gave up finally, but after getting me to promise to come back after the six months-and-then-some were up."

Hercules seemed somewhat satisfied with this answer.

"Y'know," remarked Meg, "I love how the main character of this little biography hasn't even been brought into the story yet." She fixed Persephone with a stare, one eyebrow crooked up. "Funny, huh?"

Persephone rolled her eyes. "What do you want me to do, skip over everything and get to her birth?"

"Yes," said Meg.

Persephone considered this. "…okay, fine," she repented, shrugging, and opened her mouth to continue. But Meg cut her off.

"And please don't get too detailed. We wanna hear about baby Maci, not your disgusting labor pains or whatever."

Persephone narrowed her eyes into slits, and gave Meg a sarcastic look.

"But it'd be so fun to scar you all for life," she said dryly.

Hercules blinked.

"We've got innocents here," said Meg, motioning to Herc. Persephone sighed and rolled her eyes, _again._

"Okay, so…" Persephone thought aloud to herself, "Fast-fowarding four months later…"

* * *

~Author's Notes~ I would like you all to know that I was blackmailed into writing this chapter in one night. XPP That fact amuses me greatly. Fanks, Loki!! 3


	12. Part 12: Chapter XI

**_This _Persephone, Hypnos, Thanatos, Nyx, Erebus, the Furies and Macaria are MINE. Anyone who uses them without my permission gets thrown in the Phlegethon River.**

**Everything/everyone else belongs to Disney. Use 'em at your own risk.**

**_Little Miss Flames and Flowers_**

Chapter XI-- The Prince of Olympus and the Princess of the Underworld Are Born in Unison

Seriously, what Demeter had intended to be a threat had turned out to be the best thing she had ever done for Persephone. And what a perfect time, too. Now she didn't have to deal with her mother's ridiculousness, Hera's temper, Zeus' idiocy and everything else that _sucked_ on Mt. Olympus. Instead, she was allowed to go home, with Hades, and the various other Underworldians who saw it fit to make sure that she didn't do an ounce of work while the baby was resting inside her.

Hades had done a spectacular job of baby-proofing the Underworld, even though he hadn't done anything personally, nor had he possessed an ounce of knowledge pertaining to what exactly he was doing. And then the both of them had brainstormed together to find a suitable room for their son or daughter.

They had settled on a room that hadn't been touched for more then a century. The one that Hades had so courteously decorated lavishly for her way back when. It was the room she had stayed in when she had been kidnapped, when she had thought of herself as a prisoner, all the way back in time. The room was unused now. Persephone shared a room with Hades and her old little luxurious living quarters had just been sitting there, collecting dust, for 100 years and more.

It worked out well, because the room was vacant, and also, it was right next to where Hades and Seph's room was. Moving quickly, the pairs had ordered the various critters of the Underworld to redecorate the room so that it was fit for a baby.

Pain and Panic had been practically falling over each other during attempts to make sure Persephone got the best possible…anything at all times. Constantly during the day, shades floated daringly over to her to gaze in wonder at the swelling bump at her midsection, a sad reminder of the lives they had left behind on Earth.

The Furies enjoyed fussing over her too, since none of the three would ever (nor did they want to) have children of their own. Personally, Persephone thought them creepy, but she couldn't protest to the extra care. Being babied was a bit annoying, but she _did_ appreciate the effort. Besides, Persephone had never been spoiled home on Olympus.

Nyx and Erebus were also helpful to the goddess, although Nyx was the one who mostly stuck with Persephone and Erebus busied himself with stalking Hades. The pair were one of the very rare couples in the Underworld who had children—almost as many as Zeus did, scattered throughout the Underworld, Earth, and Olympus. The current two youngest were twins; Hypnos and Thanatos, who were "…a handful of trouble at the age of seven," Nyx had sniffed once, rolling her eyes, and then she had added, "Just pray to the gods you don't have twin boys and everything'll be okay."

"And what if I do?" Persephone had teased back, "Shall I feed them to Cerberus?"

"Believe me, I've considered it," sighed Nyx then, before smirking back at Persephone and then the two of them had giggled together.

* * *

"How sadistic," muttered Meg and Persephone glared at her before continuing.

* * *

Nine months after Hades and Persephone's (and Zeus and Hera's) baby had been conceived, the Underworldian couple stood in the Prince/Princess-to-be's room.

The room had been painted black and grey. An Underworldian styled crib was up against the wall, the head touching said wall and the foot facing the door. A dresser was positioned at the far right of the bed, up against the other wall. Also at the right side of the bed was a window that provided a great view of the Styx, which wound around the entire palace. Tattered—purposely tattered—grey curtains hung on either side of the window.

The imps had taken it upon themselves to find some (of their) old stuffed animals and had tucked them into the crib along with a few battered rattles they had hunted down. Pain and Panic had also teamed up with Nyx and the Furies to find to gender-neutral black chitons for the baby…

Hades and Persephone were standing by the edge of the empty crib, hand in hand, arm in arm.

Somewhere along the line of her pregnancy, Persephone had been forced to make a change from her usual tight black chitons to something that was much looser and didn't squeeze the damn baby up against her in a painful way for both her and the kid. Her hair had been bugging her, too (although lately, everything had kind of been bugging her), and in a fit of annoyed rage she had hastily swept it back into a messy ponytail, out of her way.

She didn't look like herself. Her hair was different, her dress was different, and she was so exhausted and internally beaten up that her face looked different somehow. Persephone was practically leaning fully on Hades. If he stepped back, she'd fall over, undoubtedly.

But despite the weary look on her face, Persephone was smiling fondly at her baby's crib and after a moment she craned her neck so that she could smile fondly at Hades. He grinned back down at her and hugged her gently, his grin broadening as their kid shifted inside Persephone.

"Isn't this thing supposed to have come out already?" Hades complained lightly.

Persephone gave him a look. "Like I can control when it comes out," she sneered teasingly, "Do I look like a Fate to you?"

"I won't answer that."

He flinched, grinning still, as she glared at him and then pretended to smack his arm. "You ass," Persephone smirked, and snuggled contentedly in his arms as the baby kicked her furiously.

* * *

On Olympus, Hera sat on a comfortable cloud couch, Zeus at her side, polishing a static-y lightning bolt that was in his hands. The Queen of Olympus tapped her magenta fingers against her curved womb, her sky blue dress—she too had been forced to alter her outfits—shifting as her hand rested on the fabric. The baby was moving, and kicking, and hitting, and Hera was close to begging to Fates to speed up this pregnancy, because the baby was kicking her with so much force she was sure a hole would be split in her stomach with the next kick. Her baby had probably bruised her organs.

But there was no need for asking the Fates to speed it up, because it'd be _coming_, it was gonna be _coming_ before the day was over, she was sure of it, she was sure of it…

* * *

Persephone absentmindedly squeezed her husband's hand, her eyes comfortably closed. "Hades," she purred softly, and he directed his gaze back onto her.

Without waiting for a verbal response, Persephone continued, "Promise me something?"

"Anything," he said immediately, and Persephone beamed.

"Just…just promise me that…" She blinked, shrugged one shoulder, and her eyes fluttered open. "Promise that you won't faint when my water breaks, 'kay?" Rosy lips twisted into a smirk, and Hades blinked, and then carefully flared and scowled at her.

"Hah, hah," Hades gave her his best withering look. Persephone giggled. "_Gods_, you're hilarious. So-freaking-funny, _so_ funny, I forgot to laugh—"

"Don't piss off the pregnant lady," Persephone warned, all teasing aside, and Hades gulped and shut up immediately.

* * *

The baby shifted again and so did Hera, wincing as she was kicked from the inside. The feeling, that fluttering feeling she got when she felt someone was about to give birth, was getting stronger and stronger, and she pressed lightly on her stomach, applying a very light amount of pressure as the baby shifted again.

It was _coming_, it was _coming…_

The baby shifted _again_ and

* * *

Persephone winced, placing a hand over her womb as she felt the baby stir. She suddenly felt happy, happier then she had felt throughout this entire pregnancy and

* * *

it was going to come, any minute, any second, her water was going to break, Hera could feel it, she could sense it and she sat up with a gasp and glanced at a suddenly very alert Zeus once she felt something running down her leg. Hera blinked and turned to Zeus and said in as calm a voice as she could muster:

* * *

"The baby's coming," gasped Persephone suddenly, jerking away from Hades with a terrified squeak.

* * *

Hades blinked, stared, and then said in perfect synchrony with Zeus up on Olympus, "W-what?!"

* * *

That was where the two scenes merged into totally different scenarios. Hera remained totally calm as gods and goddesses hurried to her assistance. Persephone oddly enough was calm, too, although the only ones who came running were Pain and Panic.

"So now I need you to do something for me," Persephone gasped out, stepping back again and closing her hand around the crib tightly.

Hades, who was quite busy trying not to have a panic attack like the imps were doing right now, forced a weak smile and said (again), "Anything."

Persephone grit her teeth. Pregnancy was a pain. Literally. "G-go get Demeter please," Persephone said as sweetly as possible.

Hades stared at her.

"Hades," Persephone repeated in a hiss, "_Go. Get. Demeter."_

"You're out of your mind," Hades blinked at her.

"Am I? Do _you_ know anything about delivering a—" Her words were cut off by a gasp as pain shot through her body again. _Oh, yes, pregnancy is a freaking _pain_, _Persephone thought, wincing, _How do people do this?!_ "A-about delivering a baby," she finished weakly.

Hades saw sense in her logic, but…but _Demeter_? Why Demeter? There had to be some other goddess of childbirth around, someone that could help her, someone _somewhere_—

"WOULD YOU GO GET HER ALREADY?!" Persephone screamed at the top of her lungs, and, paling, Hades nodded rapidly. At a total loss, he quickly instructed Pain and Panic to do just that, and they poofed up to Olympus.

He couldn't leave her, even for just a moment, not when she was—

"WOULD YOU _PLEASE_ JUST GO GET MY MOTHER, HADES, HURRY THE HELL _UP_ I DON'T HAVE ALL DAY DO YOU WANT THIS KID TO COME OUT OR _NOT_?!" Persephone howled furiously, and Hades again nodded rapidly, and decided that Pain and Panic were far too stupid to accomplish such a simple task, that he'd be back in just a moment, and that you could never trust an imp to do a god's job.

Obediently, Hades vanished, leaving Persephone alone for about ten seconds before Nyx and Erebus poofed into the room at the sound of her scream.

* * *

Hades stood hesitantly in Olympus, just inside the gates, and with wide, confused eyes, he watched the crowd that was moving around almost frantically. Within a matter of seconds, Pain and Panic had spotted him and were at his side, watching, just as confused. There was a strict 'no minion' policy on Mt. Olympus, but everyone was in such a mad panic that no-one noticed the pair of minions standing shyly off to one side.

"So. Who wants to explain what's going on?" said Hades evenly, glancing down at Pain and Panic with just a flicker of a scowl flitting across his face. The imps shrugged.

"Something with Hera, I think," said Pain, shrugging. "We didn't pick much up, there's all this chaos around," added Panic, nodding, and Hades absentmindedly wondered if maybe Eris had something to do with it.

"Aren't you s'posed to be with Persephone?" said Pain suddenly, a note of alarm in his voice. Hades looked almost guilty.

"She told me…she, uh, _ordered_ me to come up here and get Demeter."

"So where is she?!" said Panic, standing on his turquoise toes to try and look over the crowd, "Demeter. Where is she? I don't see her!" Hades blinked, cast a nervous glance downwards, then flared and marched forwards, delving directly into the crowd.

"Move outta my way. Shoo, beat it, 'scuse me, outta the way, stay on one side," he practically chanted as he pushed his way through the crowd. Hades blinked and tried not to gape when he got to the center of said crowd and realized that the reason for all the people was that _Hera had gone into labor too._

'What kind of a weird coincidence is that?!' Hades had gaped at Persephone a few months ago when she had informed him about Hera's pregnancy, and the same thought ran across his mind now. What were the odds that Hera and Persephone had gotten pregnant at the same time, and then had gone into labor at the same time? The Fates were surely messing with them. But Hades had no idea what their motives might have been.

Someone shoved into him in a mad attempt to protect Hera from harm (Hades mentally rolled his eyes at that thought) and he flared up more, turning to glare at the now departing god and instead finding himself being glared _at_ by none other then Demeter.

"And just what do you think you're doing here?" said Demeter in a hiss.

"Standing," Hades said flatly, and then took her with some difficulty by the very thick arm and yanked her out of the crowd and over to Pain and Panic, who were both freaking out because they could _swear_ they could hear Persephone yelling from up here.

Demeter frantically squirmed away from him, and then wrinkled her nose and scowled at her brother. "What do you want?!" she demanded furiously, "I'm in the middle of something here, Hera's baby is gonna come out, and I need to be there for her—"

"And who's more important, Demeter, your brat of a sister or your daughter?" said Hades solemnly, and Pain and Panic blinked and looked expectantly up at Demeter.

All color drained from Demeter's face, and she stared at Hades with wide blue eyes. In a hoarse voice, she gasped out, "_What did you do to my daughter?_"

"Only knocked her up," Hades said earnestly, smirking slightly, "Now would you like to get the hell down into the Underworld to help your little baby girl give birth before she splits herself accidentally in half?"

Demeter cast a glance back towards Hera, but Hera was being well-taken care of.

And Sephy needed her. For the first time in her life, Sephy _needed_ her. It was too big an opportunity to pass up.

"Let's go. Now," said Demeter thinly. Pain and Panic breathed twin sighs of relief, and even Hades looked quite relieved. The three followed the goddess out the gates of Olympus and down the cloud stairs.

"You're unbelievable, Hades," said Demeter tightly, "Who leaves their wife alone while she's in labor? _Serious_ly," she snorted and rolled her eyes. Hades gave her a look which she didn't see thankfully, and then all four vanished in a cloud of black smoke to the Underworld.

* * *

Souls everywhere had stopped in their tracks. Charon had paused in boat-rowing. The Furies as well as every other demon had frozen. The entire Underworld was quiet, except for Persephone's frantic shrieks and curses, all spoken in furious ancient Greek. Hades winced, and Demeter stared with distaste at her surroundings for a moment before marching to find Persephone.

"She was in the kid's room when I left," Hades informed Demeter.

"Nyx moved her," Erebus appeared next to the two, melting out of the shadows seamlessly. The god of darkness was a shadow himself—if you looked carefully, you could see his features, but other then that, the only clearly visible trait of him was his eyes, which glowed a pale white. Demeter jumped at his appearance, but Hades and the imps didn't flinch.

"Well, _where_ did she move her?" Hades demanded, hands on hips as he flared up. Erebus didn't bat an eyelash and spoke quietly, "Our place," before melting back into the shadows and vanishing.

So Nyx had moved her to her and Erebus' home—Hades hoped with a little grimace that the goddess of night had at least had the sense to clear the twins out of there before relocating Persephone. 7-year-olds didn't need to see a birth in progress.

Demeter looked around herself disgustedly again, and then went to move forward, to find Persephone. Hades lifted an arm and pointed in the direction they had to go. "She's that way," said Hades, and then again they all vanished in smoke, reappearing outside the (nearly pitch black) home of Nyx and Erebus. Persephone could be heard quite clearly inside:

"I AM _NEVER_ HAVING CHILDREN AGAIN!" she screamed. Hades suppressed a snicker.

"I don't know how you stand to live in this place," said Demeter disgustedly, and she reached for the door. Hades narrowed his eyes, flared again, and then blocked her with his hand.

"Wait a sec," Hades practically snarled, "You just wait a sec. Look, Seph's practically being torn in half, I'm about to be a freaking father, you're about to be a freaking grandmother, and all you can do is insult me, and my realm. Would you chill the hell _out_ already?! At least _now_, hold your stupid grudge inside you for a little bit and can't we at least make an _attempt_ to get along, for Persephone's sake?!" He paused for breath, feeling himself heat up and flare. "I mean, sheesh, really, what's more important, hating me, or loving Seph?"

Demeter was silent. Hades continued,

"All I'm asking is a temporary patch over our sore little rivalry, okay? Can ya handle that? Can we do a temporary truce, please? Whaddya say?" He hesitantly cooled off and held out his hand. Demeter stared at it for a moment, narrowed her eyes, and then said curtly,

"No. Now move out of my way so I can help my daughter." Before Hades could respond, she had swung open the door and marched inside, slamming it with a bang.

Hades scowled. Pain and Panic exchanged glances and tried their best not to snicker.

* * *

After nearly an hour of waiting outside Nyx's home, Hades had started pacing. Persephone's screams/curses still rang throughout the Underworld. And the Underworld was still quiet.

Hades blinked as Persephone's shriek echoed.

Echoed? Why was she echoing? Sure, there were lots of caves in the Underworld. But they weren't in one, so why was she echoing? And why didn't her echo sound like her?

"Boss," said Panic, who had heard it too as well as Panic, "That's Hera."

Hades' eyes widened.

As Persephone screamed again, he heard the echo once more, and yup, that was Hera screaming. They were screaming in unison. He could hear Hera from up on Olympus, and you could probably hear Persephone up there, too.

But they were _screaming_ in _unison. _

'What kind of a weird coincidence is that?!' The thought ran around again.

"Weird," remarked Hades quietly, glancing upwards at the ceiling after Hera and Persephone had screamed again in synchrony.

It was bizarre. _So_ bizarre. What were the odds, really?

The two screamed again, and then Hades heard the two of them curse, the same curse at the same time, their voices aligned.

"Weirder," remarked Pain, staring upwards as well.

"Sheesh," muttered Hades, beginning to pace again. Another synchronized scream, and then another one after it.

The latter(s), however, was followed quickly by two totally different voices. Or lack thereof.

Hades' jaw dropped as the son of Zeus and the daughter of Hades vocalized for the first time in unison.

"Weirdest," whispered Panic, as Hades, totally speechless, gaped helplessly at the closed door.

* * *

~Author's Notes~ About freaking time, huh? :3


	13. Part 13: Chapter XII

**_This _Persephone, Hypnos, Thanatos, Nyx, Erebus, and Macaria are MINE. Anyone who uses them without my permission gets thrown in the Phlegethon River.**

**Everything/everyone else belongs to Disney. Use 'em at your own risk.**

**_Little Miss Flames and Flowers_**

Chapter XII - Zeus is an Idiot - As Usual - and Hades and Seph's Baby is Named, Albeit Cruelly

Almost shyly, Hades lingered by the door. It was possibly the longest moment in his life he had been utterly speechless.

The entire house was dark—that was, of course, what happened when the goddess of night and the god of darkness got married and lived in a house together—and in the dark, Hades could make out a few dark shapes, gathered around an equally as dark bed. There was one large one easily recognizable as Demeter, perched by the edge of the bed with a faint green glow around her body. Nyx was the slender one next to Demeter, a practically unnoticeable navy blue aura circling her. She was also equally as recognizable; Nyx had a cape and a pair of large dark wings that twinkled with dozens of stars, and her hair, which was large, black, poofy, and tied in a ponytail that hung all the way down her back, also sparkled with tiny white dots.

And then Persephone, outlined in soft pink, was the obvious one in the bed.

He squinted, and choked back a gasp as he realized that there was another, much smaller, baby-sized shape, also outlined in pink, nestled in her arms.

Hades wasn't sure if anyone noticed him standing there. Nyx and Demeter were watching the baby, and any sounds he could have made would have been drowned out by his kid's screaming. He was practically invisible in the dark, anyway. His hair provided a dim blue light, but didn't do much to make things any more visible, much like the three (four) other divinities' auras did nothing to discern their faces. He was silent, listening to the baby scream when suddenly he…she…it quieted (he couldn't even be sure what gender his new baby was—he couldn't _see_ it and its crying did nothing to distinguish genders), and he heard Persephone giggle softly.

Hades found his voice. "So anyone wanna light the damn place up so I can actually see the kid?"

Pause. The dark shapes turned to them, and somehow in the dark he saw…sensed, rather, Persephone smiling at him.

"It's a girl," offered Nyx.

Hades grinned slowly.

He had a kid. He had a daughter. The King and Queen had a Princess.

"Fabulous," spoke Hades, his fingers interlacing, "Now, how 'bout those lights…?"

"Honestly, Hades," Demeter said, her voice shrill, "Are the lights really all you care about?!"

Hades stared in disbelief, then flared, angrily proclaiming, "I want to see my _kid_, is that really so much to ask?! I happen to not be able to see in the freaking dark—oh, wait." He blinked, and struggled to keep himself flared. The light from the furious orange flames was crappy, yes, but there was just enough so that he could see things a bit clearer. The room was cast in a pleasant tangerine glow, and Hades' eyes fell on first Nyx, then Demeter, then Persephone and then finally the sleeping infant in her arms.

He only got to look at her for a second, and even then, it wasn't much of a look. The light, as mentioned before, was crappy, and all he could really tell was that she was asleep. He hesitantly changed back to blue and grey, then put his hands on his hips, and hissed to Demeter and Nyx , "_Lights_, please!"

"Al_right_," said Demeter and Nyx in unison. The goddess of night waved a hand, and the darkness in the room brightened, but only slightly. She cocked her head, frowned, and called out as loud as she dared; "Erebus?"

The god of shadows melted from…from wherever, and Demeter instinctively backed up against the wall. Nyx glided over to him, and they spoke softly for a moment. The god of shadows and darkness raised a black hand and instantly the entire dark room brightened. Demeter, Hades, and Persephone blinked in the sudden light, and directed a triple gaze to Nyx and Erebus. The pair bowed to their fellow divinities.

"We'll leave you three alone," said Nyx, smiling, and she backed out the door, Erebus silently following her. Her voice ("Where'd you put the twins?") was heard outside of the house, and then everything was quiet as the two of them teleported somewhere else.

Hades opened his mouth to say something, but the words died abruptly on his tongue.

Persephone motioned him over, and he obeyed without a word, eyes wide. Still silent, Hades leaned back against the wall behind the bed as casually as he possibly could and he stared at the sleeping child in his wife's arms.

She had light pink skin, like Persephone did, and a tuft of blonde hair stuck straight up on her head. Her (tiny) nose curved like Persephone's did, and her face was even shaped like Seph's…

"Persephone, you have a clone," Hades said, awe-struck.

"Thank the gods," said Demeter, sounding genuinely happy. Persephone couldn't help but beam.

"What are the odds?" she mused, twirling a finger around in the baby's little puff of hair; she continued to sleep, oblivious. "Hm, she didn't get anything of yours?" Persephone glanced up at Hades, frowning a bit. What _were_ the odds? You needed two to make a baby, and that meant traits from both parents contributed. So why was the baby practically a carbon copy of Persephone?

"Oh, wait, she's got my ears," said Hades suddenly, and he grinned as Persephone and Demeter blinked.

"What?" Demeter and Persephone said in unison, and then both looked at the same time. Sure enough, the little goddesses' pink ears ended in points, like her father's. Persephone and Hades both looked pleased with this, but Demeter looked less then thrilled.

"Brilliant, Hades, you infected a near-perfect baby with your warped genes," groaned Demeter, pinching the bridge of her nose and squeezing her eyes shut, "Thank you, thank you _very_ much."

"So sorry, next time, I'll try to single out better genes," snapped Hades sarcastically.

"Better genes or not, they'd still be yours," Demeter hissed loudly, and Persephone glared at both of them.

"Thank you _both_, for waking up the baby," said Persephone, narrowing her eyes. She glanced down at the infant, who was staring up at the three 'new' divinities with wide eyes and a trembling lower lip, about to start crying again. Her eyes were, just like Persephone's, violet. Demeter again looked quite relieved.

"At least we'll be able to take her out in public," murmured Demeter happily and Hades and Persephone glared at her. There was always lots of glaring in the Underworld, Hades noted dryly, everyone was always glaring at everyone no matter when or why...

'"Just shut the hell up, please?" said Persephone pleadingly and Demeter rolled her eyes. Hades ignored the both of them and resumed staring at his daughter, who stared back, the tears fading; both equally as curious about each other.

"Hades," said Persephone suddenly, sounding alarmed, "What are we going to name her?"

Hades shifted his gaze to Persephone, hesitated a moment, and shrugged. The baby blinked and looked over up at Persephone.

Demeter gave a snorting laugh. "Are you kidding me? You've had nine months to think about this, and you didn't pick out a name yet?! _Wow_."

"Like you had picked out my name in the first two months," sneered Persephone, her eyes narrowing again.

"I had, actually," sniffed Demeter, "So there."

"Kindly keep your baby naming advice to yourself, Demeter, you're scaring said baby," snapped Hades, glancing back down at his daughter, who looked ready to burst into tears any second again. Demeter _did_ look apologetic, but she quickly got over it.

"Well, what are you going to name her? She's got to have a name," hissed Demeter through clenched teeth, "You can't just go around calling her 'The Baby.' Gods, you two are so stupid, why didn't you even think of this bef—"

Demeter had started to yell again and the sudden loudness apparently startled the child that was in Persephone's arms. Her little pink face contorted, and she started to cry again. Hades instinctively took a step back, and resumed giving Demeter a dirty look from a small distance.

Persephone let her cry, but held onto her tighter and gave Demeter her own nasty look. Her mother was obnoxious, but even an obnoxious person should have more sense then to upset a newborn baby. Evidently Demeter didn't, and now they all had to pay the earsplitting price.

Persephone supposed that trying to quiet the baby would do no good. After the initial shock of being, well, born, Persephone doubted that anything said or done could quiet her other then the baby deciding to do so herself. And then with Demeter's yelling…no, Hades and Persephone's child could keep on crying as long as she liked. Hopefully it'd make Demeter leave faster.

But as the little princesses' screams grew louder, Demeter didn't leave; in fact she did quite the opposite, and literally snatched the baby from Persephone's arms.

"Hey!" cried Persephone and Hades in unintended unison, and noise made her wail louder. Demeter rolled her eyes.

"You two have no idea how to handle a child," said Demeter, "This poor little girl, she's so lucky she came out of this looking somewhat normal—" She glared at the ears. "—but now you've got to curse her with a pair of outcast parents who have no idea what they're doing, and she's going to have to grow up in a….a _hellhole_. Gods, this poor child…and you two don't even know how to calm her down when she's crying, for the love of Zeus, honestly!"

The baby _had_ in fact quieted, and was staring with wide eyes at the stranger who had taken her away from the person she had just been sleeping on. Her voice was the same as the voice that had woken her up, and now she had taken her away from her mommy, and she was yelling…

With a screech, the Princess of the Underworld squirmed in Demeter's arms and promptly burst into flame.

Hades and Persephone both gaped, jaws hanging open, as Demeter screamed bloody murder and flailed, removing the things that had been supporting the baby A.K.A her arms, and letting the flaming, scowling child drop. Hades' arm turned to smoke and caught the child seconds before impact.

Said child blinked, a bit stunned, her fists curling under the black mini-blanket that had been previously wrapped around her body. The arm of smoke shrank and turned back to, well, just an arm, and, not bothering to stop the smirk that was slapped across his face, Hades stared at his daughter with pleasure. Her light pink skin had flushed light orange, the blonde tuft had dissolved into a little puff of orange and scarlet fire, and her violet irises had vanished; her eyes had become completely yellow, _just_ like Hades' were. And if you looked carefully, there were dark shadows all around her eyes. Just like daddy.

Persephone looked on, delighted, while Demeter pressed herself against the wall and hyperventilated. Grinning wider, Hades ignited a finger and held it out for the baby, who grasped it happily and flared back. It wasn't much of a flare, just a little surge of heat and a few dozen sparks, but considering that, plus her current appearance, Hades was completely and totally impressed.

The fact that she had managed to scare Demeter out of her wits at the age of, um, like, fifteen minutes was a pleasant bonus.

"…well, I'm satisfied," said Hades happily, and the baby was obviously satisified, too, because she extinguished – everything melted back to normal; pink, blonde, and violet making a grand comeback — and yawned, settling into Hades' arm and falling back asleep.

Hades became aware that Demeter had calmed down and was staring at them darkly. Depositing the baby in Persephone's embrace again, he strode over to her and stared darkly back, his eyes narrowing and his arms folding.

"And just what is the problem with you now?" he said, barely controlling his surging temper.

"The problem?" echoed Demeter, her eyes narrowing as well, "_Oh_, no problem. Just that my daughter gave birth to DEMON SPAWN!" Her words ended in a scream, and Persephone nervously glanced down at the baby; she was still asleep.

"Mother, please," said Persephone flatly.

"Ex_cuse_ me," snapped Hades sarcastically, "I'm terribly sorry that my child doesn't meet your expectations, Demeter."

"My expectations?! Never mind my expectations, what about the expectations of Olympus?! Of the Underworld? Of _Earth_, the mortals?! Your child is a _demon,_" Demeter shrieked, "Bad enough she got your ears," she sneered at this, "and now you pass on your….your disgusting _powers_ to her, too, just….ugh!"

Hades flared up, and was about to snap a retort, but suddenly, the room erupted in bright light, and there was a whooshing noise as suddenly, the image of the god Zeus appeared in the air.

It was out of smoke, or whatever, just a mirage…he wasn't really there, but he _was_ there at the same time, and the image smiled brightly at the three (four) gods in the room. Demeter looked _so_ relieved. Hades and Persephone looked less then thrilled, and the baby whined and opened her eyes.

"I'm _guessing_ you didn't come to see the baby," said Persephone, her eyes narrowed. Zeus didn't pick up on the sarcasm.

"No, no, I've come for a different matter entirely," Zeus said happily, "You all _must_ come up to Olympus. Hera's just given birth to the new Prince of Olympus—"

Was it her imagination, or had the infant in her arms just scowled at the mention of another baby? Persephone blinked.

"—and you need to come up and see him," the god finished, and beamed, "His name's Hercules. He's just the cutest thing."

"I'm sure," said Hades dryly, folding his arms.

"Oh, I'd love to see him!" said Demeter quickly, smiling, and, giving Hades and Seph and the baby nasty looks, she vanished, up to Olympus.

Zeus beamed, and then looked expectantly at Hades and Persephone.

They stared back.

"…oh, you can_ not_ be serious," said Hades, his eyes wide and his hair turning orange, "You're saying that you _honestly_ expect me and Seph to drop everything—"

"—including our newborn baby," chimed Persephone, an edge to her voice.

"—and head on up to Olympus to see some _brat_ who neither of us care about?" Hades finished, and glared at Zeus, the rest of him flushing orange to match his hair. Zeus blinked.

"That's exactly it," he said happily, and Hades resisted the urge to slap a hand to his forehead and groan.

"You are an idiot," said Persephone coldly, pressing her baby protectively to her chest. The infant clung to her, whimpering and sniffling, about to start crying again.

Zeus actually looked _confused_. "I don't….I…" His voice trailed off, and he scrunched his face up and blinked. "I want both of you to come up to Olympus. Now. You just _have_ to—"

"We're not going anywhere!" said Persephone, and Hades flared more and agreed, nodding.

"In _case_ you hadn't noticed, brother dear," Hades said, his voice dripping with sarcasm, "I'm also relishing my sudden fatherhood." These words were also spoken sarcastically; however Persephone distinctly noticed that his voice was less sarcastic then before.

Zeus blinked. "Oh really?" he said, skeptical.

"_Yes_, really," snapped Hades, and Persephone took her cue and held up the baby, who started to cry again.

Hades and Zeus winced at the volume; Persephone, motherly instincts already kicking in, snuggled the baby back to her and she quieted hesitantly.

"…well," said Zeus finally, a bit stunned by the fact that his little brother was trying to steal his spotlight. The image of him folded it's arms. "I still want you on Olympus. Bring the kid," he said sulkily.

"Uh, no," said Hades, "I'll pass on that one." He shot Zeus a sarcastic grin. Zeus missed the sarcasm in it and slowly grinned back. Idiot.

"Hades, honestly. Don't you want to meet your nephew?" He turned to Persephone. "And don't you?"

"Not at all," said Persephone smoothly.

"Not when we have a kid of our own to worry about," agreed Hades, vanishing and reappearing next to Seph, his arm around her. She beamed at him.

"That's ridiculous," Zeus whined, and Hades flared again in outrage. Ridiculous?! _He _was the ridiculous one. What kind of moron asked a couple to go up and see some stupid kid _after that couple had just given birth to a child themselves. _Uh….hello?!

At that moment, Demeter reappeared in the room, to Hades and Persephone's dismay.

"I thought you were done with us," Hades said flatly, and Demeter ignored him and turned to Zeus.

"Oh, your baby's _wonderful_!" she exclaimed brightly, "So sweet, such a darling little thing. He certainly takes after his parents." Zeus beamed at this.

"Oh, yes, he's a sweetie," Demeter continued to gush, and then she turned and glared directly at Hades, Seph, and the baby. "And he's perfectly normal, too. No demonic qualities to him."

"Hmmph," muttered Hades, scowling.

"See?" said Zeus excitedly, "Now, you must come see him, he's just the—"

"I don't care," Hades said irritably. He really didn't. He had other things to worry about. The baby, for example.

"We didn't even name our baby," said Persephone almost pleadingly, "Go away, leave us alone, we'll come see your stupid kid tomorrow or something."

Zeus pouted. "Oh, but—"

"Forget it." Demeter sighed. "You'll never get anywhere with these two. Leave them with their hell-spawn baby." She sniffed haughtily at the end of her sentence and stuck her nose in the air, her hands on her hips. Hades rolled his eyes.

Zeus hesitated, considering this. Finally, he narrowed his eyes. "Well," said the god, his tone childish and sulky, "I didn't want you two outsiders infecting my child with your….your Underworld-ness anyway." And the image vanished, as Hades rolled his eyes and switched to sarcasm.

"Oh, gee, I'm stung. I'm not wanted on Olympus? Really? This is new!" Hades scowled and folded his arms. "Zeus can go screw himself, for all I care."

"Why would he do that when he has most of Greece's female population to screw?" Persephone grinned, and Hades gave her a look and snickered.

"So mature," sneered Demeter, staring with distaste at Persephone's child, "And you still haven't named the baby yet."

"I got nothing," Hades said, annoyed, "How 'bout giving us suggestions instead of telling us to just name the baby?"

"Yes, be helpful," agreed Persephone flatly.

Demeter gave them looks, and then fell silent, considering. Her lips finally twisted up in a cruel smile. "Give her an ironic name," Demeter suggested dryly, "_Macaria_."

Persephone blinked. "_Macaria_…'blessed'?" she questioned, translating the word, and then the cruelty of the remark sunk in and she gaped at Demeter; Hades' jaw dropped.

"MOTHER!" shrieked Persephone, "What the hell is wrong with you?!"

"You wanted a suggestion," said Demeter coldly.

"Harsh," seethed Hades, flaring up. Demeter simply shrugged.

There was a pause. The unnamed baby stirred in Persephone's arms. She had gone from quiet silence to yawning to sleep and was snoozing comfortably now.

"…actually," said Hades finally, leaning against the wall, "Call me crazy-slash-cruel-slash-sadistic, but I actually like _Macaria._ It has a ring to it, y'know? Forget the ironic cruelty." He glared at Demeter.

Persephone let out a quiet moan. "Oh, she'll hate us if we name her that."

"When she's a teenager, she'll hate us anyway," Hades pointed out, smirking, and Persephone hesitated and shrugged.

"Whatever. I don't know what else to call her, anyway. And you can get cute nicknames from _Macaria._" She grinned. "We can call her Maci!"

Demeter's smile slowly faded, and she scowled at them. "I wasn't being _serious_," she tried to say, but the couple ignored her, and beamed down at the child.

"Macaria it is," said Hades, smirking, and she actually coincidentally opened her eyes and blinked slowly at the mention of her new name.

_Next thing on the list, show off the new baby to the rest of the Underworldians,_ Hades made a mental note and smirked wider to himself.

* * *

~Author's Note~ I had the 'Demeter-naming-Macaria-as-a-cruel-joke' thing planned as soon as I found out what 'Macaria' actually meant. 8D


	14. Part 14: Chapter XIII

**_This _Persephone, Hypnos, Thanatos, Nyx, Erebus, and Macaria are MINE. Anyone who uses them without my permission gets thrown in the Phlegethon River.**

**Everything/everyone else belongs to Disney. Use 'em at your own risk.**

**_Little Miss Flames and Flowers_**

Chapter XIII- Hades and Persephone Show Off The Baby, and the Nightmare Pair meet Maci

"I'm sorry," said Hercules rather flatly, "But I don't believe my father would do such a…a…a…"

"Stupid?" suggested Meg, and Hercules reluctantly nodded.

"…such a stupid thing like that…I mean…didn't he see that you had just had a…a baby?" Hercules folded his arms and glared at Persephone, who rolled her violet eyes.

"Hercules," said Persephone patiently, "Your father is much less intelligent then you think he is."

Hercules opened his mouth to reply, then fell silent, seemingly realizing that arguing with her would bring them no-where.

Persephone smiled brightly, satisfied with his silence. "Okay. So, where were we?" She tapped a finger against her chin and thought for a moment. "Hades and I didn't do anything with little Macaria for the next few days—giving birth is an exhausting experience for mother and baby, neither of us wanted to move," she giggled a little to herself at this, "So….I guess we'll jump to…"

* * *

…it was a few weeks after Macaria's birth, and the couple were perfectly delighted with the new baby.

She had spent most of the first days of her life with her eyes closed, whether in Persephone's/Hades' arms or in her all black crib, but around the third day, Maci had decided that she was bored with sleeping. It was a good thing she couldn't talk yet, because they were sure that she would be demanding to be shown around the Underworld if she could.

She couldn't talk, no, but she could scream and cry, and she did exactly that. Hades and Seph had no issue with little Maci not sleeping, but the thing was, those moments not sleeping were spent screaming and inducing headaches.

She had woken the two up in the middle of the night once and Hades, who had been surprisingly tolerant of his daughter's crying, flared and buried his face in his hands furiously. "I'm sure she's doing this on purpose," he had muttered under his breath to Persephone, who was awake next to him and was trying not to yawn, "I think she's just trying to see how mad she can get us before we strangle her or somethin'."

"She's a baby," Persephone had pointed out, her eyes half open but a smile on her lips.

"She's _my_ daughter. She's more then capable of being evil at three weeks old."

Macaria had screamed again and Hades had rolled his eyes and groaned as Persephone hesitantly stood up.

"Hey, d'ya think she'd suffocate if we gagged her?" Hades then had gone on to ask, smirking, "I mean, it's worth a shot, right?"

Persephone merely glared at him before poofing to the next room.

Between all the crying, Persephone and Hades had begun to pick up on their young daughter's growing personality. Hades had been ecstatic, in an evil, sadistic way, when she had flared up at Pain and Panic the first time they had tried to approach her, and then had gone on to try and pull off their tails. (She had gotten bored of it after a moment and fallen asleep, but the effect had still been made.) Any moment her parents attention wasn't on her, she became upset (only further increasing Hades' suspicions that she was crying and waking them up on purpose)…

It was also pretty obvious that she was, or would be upon growing older, a complete Daddy's Girl. There were times—_many_ times—when Macaria refused to shut up unless Hades was the one doing the shutting. Persephone didn't mind it, in fact, she made it a point to be there giggling whenever Hades was with his daughter. She couldn't help it. Hades was very rarely in such adorable situations.

In terms of powers, all that could be noted was that Macaria, quite obviously, had control of fire like Hades did. When she was angry, she flared up into red and orange flame like Hades did. As for creating fireballs and other fire-related powers, all the godling could do for now was create small heat surges and sparks.

"She'll get there in time," Hades had explained to Persephone, "I started out doing pretty much the same thing, until I was like…three. The powers got better, of course, by then, I was in Cronus' stomach, so they were kinda no use for me."

Maci had clenched her tiny fists and several bright sparks erupted from them, like fireworks. Hades smirked at her and she giggled back.

"You're gonna have to show her how to use them," Persephone had stated, "I've got no idea how to work, um, pyromaniacal powers."

Hades gave her a look, then snickered.

Now, Hades, Persephone, and the new addition were in the throne room, Persephone sitting cross-legged in her throne with Maci in her arms. Hades sat besides her in his own throne, and the two of them were deep into conversation.

"…I just don't know. I mean, of course I wanna show her off but…" Persephone's voice trailed off and she glanced down at Macaria. The little goddess was very busy trying to yank Persephone's necklace down to her level so she could eat it.

"But what? Seph, it's just us who wanna show her off," said Hades, reaching over to his wife and Macaria and moving the necklace out of the way with a finger. Macaria made a face at him. "It's the rest of the Underworld that wanna see her."

"Yes, but…" Persephone sighed and glanced at Macaria, who was still glaring sulkily at Hades. "Won't it be…stressful for her?"

Hades tilted his head, considering this.

"All those people…" added Persephone doubtfully, "I…I dunno, I just think she'd panic, or something."

Panic glanced up at the sound of his name, looked around, then realized he hadn't been called and went back to playing Tic Tac Toe with Pain in the dust.

"Why would _my_ daughter get panicky from a crowd?" scoffed Hades, "And you, too….you're hardly Little Miss People-Avoider yourself."

"I'm not saying she's shy or anything," pointed out Persephone, "I'm just saying that…well, she's a baby, Hades, she might get overwhelmed—" She gasped suddenly as she was yanked forwards by her necklace, which Macaria had managed to latch onto; Persephone squeaked as the godling pulled it off completely, the thin chain that held the diamond skull snapping.

"You little…" Persephone stared at her daughter with astonishment and a flash of fury, which quickly faded as Macaria giggled sweetly, proud of herself.

Hades was trying his hardest not to laugh, and was failing quite miserably. Persephone glared at him and grabbed the skull out of her hands; she had been trying to eat it.

"Ew. Don't eat diamond," said Persephone with wide eyes, closing her fist around the gem and ignoring Macaria's squeals of protest, "Ugh, Hades, can you fix this for me later?" She deposited the broken necklace into Hades' outstretched hand, then leaned back with a sigh and a glare at Maci.

"Don't break things that aren't yours," Hades mock-scolded his daughter (she stuck her tongue out at him sullenly), then stood up from his throne and paced across the room to his chessboard.

"So what are we gonna do?" he said from there, "To show or not to show?"

"That is the question," murmured Persephone dryly, and fell silent, thinking.

Hades paced in a circle around his chessboard, then turned back to Persephone. "C'mon, please?"

Persephone sighed. "…I guess, but—"

Hades beamed triumphantly, and she shot him a glare. She hadn't been finished talking.

"_But_, if she gets upset, we're kicking everyone out straightaway, no arguments, okay? Got it?"

"Fine. Whatever." Hades rolled his eyes, and turned to the imps. They both stood and snapped to attention, their Tic Tac Toe game swept away with a claw.

"How may we be of assistance, boss?" said Pain brightly.

"'Kay, here's what ya gotta do, listening?" he said to them, and they nodded. He continued, "Go out there, frolic around the Underworld, spread the word that Seph and I are letting the Underworldians see their new Princess—"

"Cool!" exclaimed Pain and Panic excitedly. Hades ignored them and turned to Persephone.

"When are we doing this, tomorrow?" he looked to her for her input and she shrugged. "Sure. She's falling asleep now, anyway." Macaria's blinking was getting slower and heavier and she yawned idly as both of them looked at her.

"Okay, fine," said Hades, and he turned back to Pain and Panic, "There's a showing tomorrow. Spread the word. Here in the Underworld—"

"What time?" asked Persephone.

"I dunno. Whenever." He waved his hand dismissively, not caring. Persephone shrugged.

"We'll disclose details later," Persephone told the imps, who were both focused and attentive, making sure they remembered the details they _were_ getting, "For now, it's just 'showing in the Underworld, tomorrow.'"

"Got it!" said Panic enthusiastically.

"Excellent," said Hades calmly, "Now, shoo. Get moving." The imps nodded and scurried off to fulfill their request. Hades and Persephone beamed at each other, and Macaria blinked up with wide violet eyes at her parents.

* * *

They decided on the afternoon of the next day, and that was when they held it. The line to see Princess Macaria stretched down the hall leading up to the throne room, down the stairs, and well out the door. It seemed like every inhabitant of the Underworld was there.

Pain and Panic were letting people in one at a time, or one small group at a time in some occasions, so the chaos was kept to a minimal. Little by little, the creatures, gods, goddesses, demons and shades trailed into the throne room, stared/cooed at the baby, then trailed out, or poofed out, or climbed out, depending on what worked best for them.

Hades had been right; Macaria was far from overwhelmed, in fact, she was utterly fascinated by all the things her realm held. She amused herself by trying to grab onto any shade that came up to her (a difficult task-they were all insubstantial), and to everyone who was easy to cling to, she just giggled at.

The little goddess seemed fearless. Even when the Furies approached her, she neither flinched nor shrank back. Instead, Macaria grinned toothlessly, and tried her best to pull their sharp black claws off.

"Oh, Lord Hades, Lady Persephone, she's adorable," Tisiphone sighed happily, her bright red and pupil-less eyes shining as she and her sisters beamed down at the baby.

Persephone smiled, however, her smile was hollow-the three demon avengers freaked her out.

The fact that they were all leaning over a baby's cradle, Alecto and Megaera making cooing noises, did nothing to unnerve this creeped out feeling. Persephone supressed a shudder, then politely told them their time was up and to let the next people come in, while Hades, knowing the reason she was casting them out, snickered quietly.

* * *

The next few people (a few shades and some cat thing) were boring and created no memorable events (although Macaria enjoyed herself, trying to pull off the cat-thing's whiskers for her own personal gain-whatever that might have been). The next guests-all four of them-were much more interesting, and as soon as the parent figures walked into the room, Hades groaned and covered his face with his hands.

"Splendid," he muttered to Persephone, his voice low enough so that Nyx and Erebus couldn't hear him, "Chances are they brought the Nightmare Pair, huh?"

"Stop it," she scolded him, watching Nyx vanish suddenly to just outside the door from the corner of her eye, "Hypnos and Thanatos are sweet."

"I'm sorry, which Hypnos and Thanatos are we talking about? Nyx-and-Erebus Hypnos and Thanatos? Hah, no, not sweet; violent and insane and destructive, yes, sweet, no."

"Gimme a break," scoffed Persephone, and Hades glared at her and said, "You really wanna bring those two near a newborn-ish baby's crib? Speak up now or forever hold your peace."

"They won't..." she started, but trailed off as Nyx returned to the room, looking sheepish, and dragging a twin behind her in each hand.

The resemblance between the two was uncanny - they had the same faces, and the same hair (Thanatos' was messier and looked greasier, like he hadn't brushed or washed it in a week), and were wearing the same type of chiton, but their color schemes were practically opposite from each other. Hypnos' skin was light blue and he had blond hair, hanging just past his ears, and blue eyes. Thanatos had scarlet colored skin, and black hair the same length, with bright red irises that almost seemed to glow with intensity. Their chitons were simply darker shades of their skin tones, a stiff collar jutting out from the fabric and curving around their necks. Both of them looked pretty damn miserable, too, although Hypnos looked more like he was about to pass out on the spot rather then throw a temper tantrum like Thanatos looked like he was about to. Fitting, considering their positions - Hypnos was the god of sleep, and Thanatos, the god of gentle death. Or, at least, they would be, when they got older.

"I'm sorry," apologized Nyx, smiling wearily, "Couldn't find a place to deposit them."

"Brilliant," muttered Hades, and glared at them both.

"I wanna go home," said Thanatos sulkily, "And give me back my scythe."

"Don't give it back, he tried to slash me with it last time," whimpered Hypnos, shrinking back, and Nyx rolled her eyes and shoved both of them to Erebus.

"So! Let me see Macaria," said Nyx happily, and the goddess of night vanished and reappeared by Macaria's cradle. Maci blinked at her, and stared mystified at the stars that twinkled in her hair and cape.

"Mo-om, I don't want to see the baby." Thanatos glared at her and folded his arms-Hypnos rolled his eyes and stifled a yawn. "That makes one of us," said Hypnos, and Thanatos shot him a glare, too.

"Well, not everything's up to you," said Nyx, turning from Macaria to face her seven year old son, "Chill out, we'll go in a sec."

"Chill out," Hypnos told his brother happily, and Thanatos shoved him. He shoved back, and then the two were clawing at each other.

"Dear gods," muttered Hades, and Persephone blinked.

"Dear gods is right," agreed Nyx miserably, and she raised her voice: "HEY! CUT IT OUT!"

The twins stopped fighting and sulkily folded their arms while sitting on their knees on the floor.

"I wanna go home," stated Thanatos, and for whatever reason, a pair of wings melted out of his back - they were ebony black. The god floated stubbornly off the ground, then hovered in the air with his arms still folded. Hypnos joined him a second later, and his wings were white...Erebus shook his head at both of them and yanked them down to Earth.

"Maybe I'll just fly home on my own," Thanatos shot at him, fluttering his wings. "The sooner we go see the Princess, the sooner you can go home, so if I were you, I'd cooperate," Erebus shot back solemnly. Hypnos nodded excitedly, then tugged on Thanatos' chiton sleeve.

"Just co'perate," he repeated, and attempted to drag him across the room.

It might have worked, except he suddenly fell face first onto the floor, fast asleep.

"I don't want to," said Thanatos, "I don't care. It's a stupid baby, they all look the same." He kicked Hypnos in the side and he sat up with a yelp, starting to hover in the air again. They looked like a pair of very young angels with their feathery wings out.

"He kicked me!" Hypnos whined, and Thanatos put his hands on his hips and retorted, "Because you fell asleep _again_."

"Doesn't mean you can kick me," said Hypnos, pouting.

"Just go see the baby, for crying out loud," sighed Nyx, running a hand through her black, twinkly hair.

"But I don't want to-"

"But he kicked me-"

"NOW," hissed Nyx, and they both shot into the air and flew themselves over to the cradle like a pair of pidgeons, alighting neatly side by side at the edge, and then shoving each other as they stepped in each other's 'spots.'

"I am suddenly _so_ glad we didn't have twins," whispered Persephone to Hades, watching this exchange with wide eyes.

"The Nightmare Pair," said Hades simply, and Persephone leaned back against their throne, feeling a trifle nervous with how close they were to little Maci.

"It looks just like every other baby I've seen," said Thanatos flatly, unimpressed, and Hypnos glared at him and said, "Yeah-huh, you haven't seen any others."

"Both of you are ridiculous," said Nyx, "She's adorable." Macaria giggled and reached out for the stars in her hair.

"_I_ think she's cute," said Hypnos happily.

"You would," said Thanatos flatly.

"She is cute, though, lookit, she's all little," said Hypnos, grinning.

"So?" said Thanatos, disinterested.

"_So_, she-" Hypnos started, broke off abruptly, then fell backwards as he lost consciousness and fell asleep again. Thanatos twisted around to stare at him, and then he reluctantly looked up to Nyx and said, disappointed, "And I'm not allowed to kick him?"

Nyx gave him a warning look, and woke Hypnos up with a sharp nudge. The little god sat up with wide eyes, then stood to peer in Macaria's cradle again. She tried to grab onto him, and as Thanatos rolled his eyes, Hypnos giggled, yawning as he did so.

Hades and Persephone just exchanged slow glances.

Thanatos and Hypnos both simultanously turned away from Macaria, and fell silent as Nyx did the same and faced Hades and Persephone.

"She really is, she's just so sweet," said Nyx, "I can't wait until she gets older, she's going to be such a pleasure to have around the Underworld. This place needed a Princess." She grinned.

"Who knows, maybe when she gets older we can fix her up with Hypnos and Thanatos," remarked Erebus, and the twins whipped around to stare at him in horror.

"Ew," said Hypnos, blinking.

"Oh, that would be interesting," said Persephone, smirking slightly.

Macaria chose that small instant of silence to reach up and yank off a fistful of white feathers from Hypnos' wing.

The godling of sleep screamed at the sudden yank and then the sudden pain, startled, and shot up into the air, hovering near the ceiling while staring down with wide, terrified eyes at Macaria. Thanatos stared at him, then at the baby, who had feathers all over her, then burst out laughing.

"It's not funny!" wailed Hypnos, and Thanatos only giggled harder, slumping to the ground against the cradle, his wings melting back into him to protect them from grabby babies.

"She stole my feathers! MAKE HER GIVE THEM BACK!" shrieked Hypnos, and Nyx used her own wings to shoot up to him. She latched onto her sons arm and promptly yanked him back down.

"Maybe we can glue them back on," Thanatos snickered cruelly, wheezing as he tried to catch his breath, "Still think she's cute?" The look Hypnos gave him was enough to send him back into peals of laughter and he fell on his side on the floor, clutching his stomach and howling wildly.

"Make her give me my feathers back," whimpered Hypnos, wide awake and looking like he was about to burst into tears, "She stole them, they're mine. She broke my wings!"

"They're not broken," Nyx told him gently, "And there's not much use for them now."

"They're mine!" wailed Hypnos.

Thanatos stood back up, still giggling, and peered with more interest at Macaria, who blinked, and offered him a feather.

"I suddenly like her a lot more," he giggled, accepting the feather and waving it at Hypnos, who wailed louder.

"IT'S MINE! GIVE IT BACK! IT'S MINE!" Nyx and Erebus became suddenly very busy with trying to keep them seperate.

"I think we're done here," said Hades, rising from his throne and going over to Macaria's cradle, tossing the remaining feathers out and away from her. She whined and tried to hold on to them. They were her feathers. She had ripped them out fair and square.

Hypnos let out another wail. "She's eating them, she's gonna eat my feathers..."

"Oh boy," muttered Nyx under her breath, and straightened up, picking Hypnos up as she did so, and giving Thanatos a dirty look.

"Yes, we'll be going home now," she said, rolling her eyes, "Hypnos, calm down, she's not eating your feathers."

"B-but..."

"And they'll grow back, relax."

"It hurt...she stole them!"

"It'll stop hurting in a moment, and dammit, Thanatos, stop laughing before I gag you."

Thanatos shut up, still clutching a white feather in his red hands.

"And put the feather down," she sighed.

He tossed the feather back to Macaria, and it fluttered in the air and landed daintily on her nose. Macaria laughed out loud and took it back into her own tiny pink fingers.

"See you guys," said Nyx, smiling wearily, "Have fun with Maci." She, Hypnos, Thanatos, and Erebus vanished, leaving Hades and Persephone alone with Macaria, who was laughing while she played with Hypnos' discarded feather.

Persephone blinked slowly.

"Ookay. That was interesting," she said, and glided over to Macaria, standing next to Hades, "Shall we let someone else in?"

He shrugged. "Why not? Things probably can't get more hectic then that. And she's calm. She's busy with her feather."

Macaria grinned.

Persephone shrugged, and retreated to her throne.

"I've mentioned that I'm glad we didn't have twins, right?" she remarked dryly, running a hand through her hair, and Hades nodded dryly and agreed.


	15. Part 15: Chapter XIV

**__**

This

Persephone, Hypnos, Thanatos, and Macaria are MINE. Anyone who uses them without my permission gets thrown in the Phlegethon River.

**Everything/everyone else belongs to Disney. Use 'em at your own risk.**

**_Little Miss Flames and Flowers_**

Chapter XIV-- Hades and Persephone are Forced to Go to Hercules' Party; Maci's Life Starts to be Unfair

"The Nightmare Pair. Sounds fitting," remarked Meg.

"You've got no idea," said Persephone, laughing a little, and she fell silent, tapping a finger against her chin, leaving Hercules and Meg to ponder her possible foreshadowing.

"Alright, I'm doing a bit of a time-jump here," she informed her audience after a moment of silence, and did so.

* * *

Sometimes Hades couldn't believe the nerve his big brother had. The rudeness, the totally blind lack of respect. Sometimes.

Like now, for instance.

Judging by the way Seph was storming around the throne room furiously, she felt the same.

"_What_ is his _problem_?!" she hissed, stopping finally to scowl at Hades, "Did he get dropped off a mountain when he was little? Did he land on his _head_?!"

Hades didn't answer, just pressed a few fingers in annoyance to his temples. Macaria, nestled in his other arm, blinked and cooed as she watched the flames on Hades' head flicker and flush red.

"He was born an obnoxious idiot," he finally replied bitterly, turning completely orange and shifting in his throne. Macaria's eyes lit up as he flared.

"Ugh," said Persephone disgustedly, and she leaned back against his throne with her arms folded.

What had happened was that Zeus had invited them to his own showing of Hercules…three months after his son had been born, but that was a different matter entirely. The point was…

Hades and Persephone had, um, "politely" refused, because they were busy with their own lives, Macaria, and also, they just didn't care.

Zeus hadn't liked that very much. He had changed things so that attendance to their showing-thing was mandatory 'by order of Zeus.'

And now the couple, who had just been informed of this, on the day of the party, no less, were being forced to drag their three month old daughter with them to a stupid event which none of them particularly wanted to go to.

Stupid, stupid, rude, obnoxious Zeus.

Persephone had flipped out once Hermes had informed them ("Cute kid," he had remarked happily to Macaria, and had blinked in pleased surprise when Macaria tried to yank off the feathers on his shoes; she had a weird obsession with feathers, it seemed), and Hades was close to flipping himself, even after the messenger god had left. The fact that Macaria was curled in his arms was the only thing holding him back.

"Well," said Hades, his voice bitterly sarcastic, "We'd better get going, or we'll be _late_."

"Oh, no," said Persephone just as sarcastically, and she stepped forwards and lifted Macaria from Hades' arms. Macaria tried to bat at his hair as she was lifted. Hades smirked at her.

Persephone sighed as Macaria played with her necklace (all fixed, although it was probably only a matter of time before she broke it again) and then settled back into her arm.

"C'mon," sighed Persephone in an echo, and Hades rose and disappeared with her.

* * *

It was a typical boring 'Zeus event,' made only slightly more interesting by the fact that for the first time out of all of his (involuntary) visits to Olympus, Hades had a fussy baby to worry about; ditto Persephone.

Macaria for the moment gave up her obsession with feathers and turned to toga and chiton pins. She was either clinging to Persephone's or Hades', and to everyone that passed her, she stared in fascination and tried to grab them.

After reaching for toga pins for a while, Macaria hesitantly realized they were all way out of her reach, and settled for chewing toothlessly at the pomegranate at Persephone's shoulder.

All the other gods were busy fussing over Zeus and Hera's brat, gushing and babbling fondly at him like a bunch of retarded people. Hades doubted the kid could understand them when they were cooing nonsense at him.

Hades would never be reduced to baby talk. Ick...just ick.

"See this?" he told Macaria flatly, gesturing to the crowd, and she looked over at him with violet eyes.

Persephone, standing against a pillar next to Hades, glanced up as he spoke to their daughter, and passed the infant goddess over to him so he could speak more directly.

"It's disgusting, isn't it?" he continued, "All these grossly colorful people, flitting around like idiotic butterflies, and stumbling over each other in order to worship the 'almighty' Zeus and his brat of a son. Y'know, me, you, and your mother, we're probably more powerful then them, and, hey, if we're not then we're definitely smarter. But is it us, the Underworldian crowd, getting bowed down to, getting presents and baby talk shoved at you? No, not at all; we're the freaking outcasts of Olympus."

Macaria gazed up at him, glanced out at the crowd, and her face darkened, hating them like daddy did.

"Although if my plan goes accordingly, we won't have that problem anymore," Hades mused and grinned. Persephone winced, unseen by him.

"Speaking of which, I've got a meeting with the Fates after this stupid thing," Hades turned to Persephone and rolled his eyes, "Hopefully we'll be able to leave ASAP, otherwise I'll be dealing with three annoyed hags when I get back down under."

Persephone shrugged. "Wouldn't they know, then, that you were going to be late?"

"Whatever," Hades replied mildly, "Still, I'd like to be on time for this thing. It's important, ya know, much more important then this thing." He gestured out around him.

"Mm. True," agreed Persephone.

Hades was about to say something else, but then Helios passed the three of and wrinkled his nose at the "demon child" – thank you, Demeter – in his arms, and Hades flared up instead, scowling darkly at the sun god. Helios quickly hurried away.

Macaria craned her small head up to look at Hades, glanced back over at Helios and promptly burst into flame herself. Despite his anger, Hades grinned down at her, and Persephone giggled softly.

"The apple doesn't fall far from the flaming tree, huh?" said Persephone wryly and Hades' grin stretched as he extinguished himself. The heat on his arms vanished as well, and when he glanced down, Macaria was smiling innocently up at him with blonde hair, violet eyes, and pink skin once again.

"I concur," said Hades, smirking.

"She's—" Persephone started, but was cut off by a flash of green light. She turned, startled, to see Demeter next to her, her thick arms folded.

"What are you two doing?" she demanded, making no acknowledgements to Macaria, who shrank back from her grandmother. It was like she recognized her from the night of her birth. She was the mean lady who had talked too loud and made her cry.

"Standing here with my husband and my daughter," replied Persephone icily, and Hades nodded with a scowl in agreement.

Demeter redirected her glare to Hades. "And you? You're not doing anything."

Hades stared at her in disbelief.

"Uh, hello?" he scowled a t her, "Are you not seeing the child in my arms?" He held up Macaria, who looked very confused to punctuate his point, and Demeter rolled her eyes. "I wasn't aware you'd gone blind," he snapped to her, and she waved her hand dismissively.

"Just give that child to Sephy," she scoffed. Persephone's look darkened at the use of her nickname, "This party is being thrown in honor of Hercules. Have you even seen the baby yet?" Hades rolled his eyes and shook his head no. Demeter glared.

"Then give the baby to Sephy and go see him."

Persephone was scowling at Demeter from behind her, and Hades felt his temperature surge, but what choice did he have? He felt like zapping her right on the spot, but then she'd go whining to Zeus and he'd find himself on the wrong end of a lightning bolt.

Hades sighed grudgingly and handed Macaria to Persephone, then retreated while glowering at Demeter. She glowered right back, watching him like a hawk to ensure that he went to go see Hercules.

And he did go in the direction of Zeus and Hera's godling, however, the second Demeter had turned her back, he made a beeline and went to go stand in the far corner.

* * *

He leaned, arms folded, against a pillar, face cast in the shadows, and he observed the crowds in irritated silence, glancing every few minutes at his wife and daughter across Olympus.

How could she have thought that she'd have no idea what she was doing as a parent? Persephone seemed to know exactly how to handle little Maci – he watched her, from a distance, play with the infant and smirked, feeling amusedly jealous. Children weren't a species he prided himself on being well informed on. He was completely winging this. At least Macaria seemed to like him.

Bored, Hades turned his attention back towards the main event. Zeus' brat had gotten his little hands on some of daddy's lightning bolts and had hurled it out at the crowds. Athena batted it away and the thing crashed harmlessly into another pillar, which quickly reformed. He watched Persephone straighten up – she had ducked – and then rolled his eyes. Even Zeus' son needed to be the center of attention. Oy vey.

"**On behalf of my son," **Zeus' voice boomed out over Olympus, **"I'd like to thank you all for your wonderful gifts." **

Hades (and Persephone) rolled his (their) eyes.

"What about our gift, dear?" said Hera, and Zeus murmured something to himself and began to dramatically pull together bits and pieces of clouds into a complicated looking design.

Hercules looked more confused then impressed.

* * *

"Very nice," snorted Persephone, rolling her eyes as she watched from across Olympus, "I'm sure his son will love playing with a cloud horse." Macaria giggled and cooed something in the intricate language of babies. Persephone wans't sure what she had said, but odds were the Princess was insulting her cousin as well – she took after her parents, and Persephone was delighted by it.

Of course, that was when Hercules poked the cloud thing, and out popped Zeus' _real_ gift, a winged horse. It's name was Pegasus, Zeus told him fondly.

Hercules and Pegasus butted heads, the horse licked him, they snuggled, and all of Olympus aww'd. Excluding, of course, Hades, Persephone, and their daughter.

Macaria, her tiny fist tangled in Persephone's long golden hair, froze and stared jealously at Hercules and his new toy. Persephone sighed in understanding sympathy. Hercules was being showered in gold and riches, all a godling could have ever wanted and so much more, while Macaria was trapped in the world below the Earth, with dark and dismal creatures who didn't care enough to even send her a stuffed toy.

It was going to be hard growing up for her. Similarly to Hades, living forever in his big brother's shadow, Macaria was going to be trapped underneath her cousin for all of eternity. He would be the one being worshipped, while she would be regarded in fear due to both her parentage and where she lived. Persephone sighed again, as Zeus cradled his son in his arms.

* * *

Aw, touching moment.

"How sentimental," Hades sneered, and every head on Olympus swiveled to look at him, including baby Hercules.

Persephone nearly slapped a hand to her forehead in exasperation. _Hades, don't do anything stupid._

"Ya know, I haven't been this choked up," Hades lamented fakely, face still hidden in the shadows, "since I got a hunk of mousaka caught in my throat." He leaned forwards and waited for laughter that probably wouldn't come.

It didn't. He was met, however, with a series of stern looks, and as Maci blinked, and Persephone shook her head and let her eyes roll skywards, Hades glided through the crowd.

"So is this an audience of a mosaic?" muttered Hades, mostly to himself as he moved through gods and goddesses, complimenting them as they were passed. Aphrodite stuck her nose in the air and 'hmph''d at him, Hades found himself suddenly wrapped in Zeus' bone crushing embrace.

Let the festivities begin.

* * *

"Mother…" whined Persephone, "It's not funny, why are you laughing?" Demeter, in hysterics with the rest of Olympus over Zeus' stupid pun, ignored her.

Persephone sighed and hurridly rushed to follow Hades who had stormed out of Olympus in another bad mood.

Zeus had been cheerful and friendly so much that it was (purposely) obnoxious. Hades had feigned enjoyment, had reluctantly gone and presented the kid with some random skull rattle…

The kid had nearly wrenched Hades' finger off, and that was probably when his temper had started to build-up. By the time Zeus had gotten Olympus laughing at him, Hades had had more then enough and had left the premises.

Persephone stood by the gates, Macaria in one arm, and her other hand wrapped around the bars of the gate as she lingered outside. She watched her husband flare and curse under his breath.

* * *

Hades hadn't known that the brat had super strength.

He hadn't even considered that the brat might have had powers. Which was stupid; all gods had powers. But he had assumed that Jerkules wouldn't, and that had been so, so stupid of him.

The brat wasn't just a brat anymore. The brat could interfere with his "release the Titans" plan in 18 years. Gods grew like mortals did, growing older and becoming more mature each year, until, of course, they hit the peak of their powers and all physical change stopped – a process known usually as "hitting maturity." Typically, gods didn't develop their full power until their early or late 20s, or past that, and one could assume that Hercules would follow that trend. Still, eighteen years old…he'd be more then capable of stopping Zeus at that point. This ruined nearly everything.

"Hades?"

Hades stopped throwing a temper tantrum at the sound of Persephone's voice. He turned to her, scowling.

Macaria, who either didn't understand that Hades was unhappy, or just didn't care, beamed at her father and squirmed in Persephone's arms, trying to get to him. He folded his arms, ignoring her, and glared at Persephone, like this was somehow her fault. She bit her lower lip.

"It could have been worse?" she offered, trying to think of something to say. Macaria extended her small arms, trying to latch onto Hades.

"Can't feel my finger," mused Hades darkly.

"It could have been worse, though," said Persephone, "He could have pulled your finger off."

Hades groaned and ran the hand that wasn't injured through the flames on his head.

"You don't even understand how bad this is," he snapped at her, "Zeus' stupid kid is gonna shatter my plan to pieces. Little tiny pieces, then he's gonna stomp on them and crush them into smaller pieces with his _stupid_ super strength!" His hands curled into fists and he exploded.

Macaria exclaimed something in annoyed baby talk and nearly toppled out of Persephone's arms in an attempt to latch onto Hades. Persephone rolled her eyes.

"Calm down," she told him flatly, "And take her before she hurts herself." Hades relented and let Macaria cling to him while Persephone walked past the two and over to the black chariot they had come in. The griffin in charge of pulling it had taken a seat on the cloud ground, its head folded neatly between its front claws.

Persephone kicked it and it yelped, leaping to its feet sheepishly.

"Stupid thing," she muttered sheepishly, and climbed into the chariot, twisting around and casting an amused glance at Hades.

"You coming, or are you going to stand there making goo-goo eyes at your daughter all day?" she said with a smirk.

Hades turned and glared at her reproachfully. "I don't make goo-goo eyes," he snapped defensively, and she rolled her eyes and decided not to press it, even though he had been.

"Whatever," she remarked mildly, "Now get in the damn chariot, or you'll be late to that meeting you've been going on about."

He promptly vanished and reappeared next to her, passing Maci to Persephone, and grabbing the reins.

The griffin sighed.

* * *

Although the trio had only been at the party for about half an hour, forty-five minutes maybe, it proved to be too long – Hades was in fact late to his meeting. As he, after hearing the news that they had already gotten there from Pain and Panic, rushed off to converse with the Fates, Persephone brought her daughter into the throne room and set her in her cradle.

Macaria gurgled and babbled baby words. Persephone laughed and pulled the cradle over to her throne so she could sit and play with her daughter. She leaned over the edge and smiled, her hair spilling onto Macaria. She grabbed it and yanked eagerly, making her mother wince in dry amusement and a little Pain.

"Life sucks for us," she told Macaria, smiling sadly and pulling her hair away. She held out her hand so Maci could grab onto that instead. Macaria, oblivious to how unfair her life was, or was going to be, took it, and happily busied herself with trying to eat her mother's fingers.

* * *

~Author's Note~ Happy belated New Year! I forgot to mention it in my last update. XD Yeah, and ignore the stupid misplaced "this" in the disclaimer. Site glitch, I guess. It wouldn't let me move it to where it was supposed to be.

And also....I'd like everyone reading this right now to go back to the first chapter and read the updated author's notes, please. I'd just like this to be cleared up, because it's been bugging me quite a bit. Thanks! :)


	16. Part 16: Chapter XV

**_This _Persephone and Macaria are MINE. Anyone who uses them without my permission gets thrown in the Phlegethon River.**

**Everything/everyone else belongs to Disney. Use 'em at your own risk.**

**_Little Miss Flames and Flowers_**

Chapter XV - The Hercules Issue is Discussed and "Solved"

"You guys hated me that much?" Hercules inquired in a tiny voice, his hands clasped together in his lap. Persephone simply rolled her eyes and continued with the story.

* * *

It wasn't long until the doors of the throne room banged open and Hades stormed into the room. Persephone whirled around, startled, and then relaxed as she saw who was there. Baby Macaria probably would have been excited to see her father again, if she wasn't fast asleep in her cradle.

"So did the meeting go well?" Persephone asked, although judging from the look on his face, the answer was obvious.

"No," he answered curtly, flaring bright orange, "Shut up." He stormed over to his throne and practically threw himself in it, his arms folded as he smoldered with gritted teeth.

Persephone raised an eyebrow, then pushed Maci's cradle over to the side so she wouldn't be woken up. The infant placed in the quiet corner, Persephone returned to her husband's side and seated herself in her flower shaped throne next to him.

"'Shut up?'" she repeated dryly, "Ooh. Must've been bad."

"Not laughing," said Hades, his eyes narrowed.

She shrugged, storing her attempts at lightening the mood elsewhere for the moment. "So what's up?" she cocked her head.

Hades neglected to answer straight away, drumming his fingers against the armchair of his throne, a scowl pulling at his lips. "So apparently," he said finally, turning his head to look at her (it was more of a glare, really), "My plan's gonna work."

Persephone stared at him. _Should I be happy or upset?_ she thought with reasonable confusion, and bit her lower lip, about to falsely congratulate him. Sure, she was happy he'd be achieving his life's goal, but she didn't really want to see the human race enslaved/dead and besides, she rather liked the Underworld –

"Except, if Zeus and Hera's brat of a son reaches adulthood, he'll be able to stop me." Hades grit his teeth together harder and flared a little more, his hands closed around the arms of his throne furiously, "Isn't that just so freaking wonderful?"

Persephone opened her mouth, and then closed it, eyes wide. Who'd have thought that one random godling would grow to interfere so much with them…well, him? She blinked, suddenly not liking the way he had said "if." _If_ he grew to adulthood. If.

"That…sucks," said Persephone slowly, tapping her fingers absentmindedly and anxiously against the crystal petal of her throne. He wouldn't hurt that kid. He just wouldn't. He couldn't! Yes, she disliked Hercules, and hated his parents even more. But he was still just a baby, just a _kid_. Hating him was one thing. Harming him was quite another.

"It sucks," repeated Hades nastily, "Hah. Understatement of the year." He flared up a little more, and leaned back in his throne, fuming.

Persephone didn't say anything at first. She cast an instinctive glance over to the black cradle that was in the corner of the room. As far as she could tell, Macaria was still sleeping. If she was awake, then she was being quiet.

"…Hades…" she finally broke the silence, biting her lower lip nervously, "…what are you planning?"

She knew him well enough to pick apart that look on his face. It was angry, yes, features contorted and shaped into a scowl, but she recognized that look in his yellow eyes. Hades was furious, but he was also planning something in that head of his, and it worried her…

Hades didn't reply for a few seconds, not looking at her. Persephone watched as he forced himself to calm down in order to speak without growling.

"They said _if_ he fights. If Hercules fights, I fail. It's that simple." A grin split across Hades' face. "It's the magic 'if,' Persephone." Calming down considerably, Hades drummed his fingers on the arm of his throne, leering like a jack o' lantern at Persephone. "All I gotta do it get rid of the brat, and boom. No more if."

Persephone stared at him, speechless. _It's just what I was afraid of,_ she thought miserably and then leapt up, her fists clenched at her side, scowling at Hades.

"You will not touch that child," said the goddess through gritted teeth.

Hades blinked, very clearly stunned. Had he not expected her to object when he proposed that he simply get rid of Hercules? Had he expected her to go along with something that twisted and cruel? And when they had a daughter, too, a baby the same age as Hercules was.

"I'm sensing disapproval," said Hades and rose from his throne to meet her, raising an eyebrow. "Is there a problem?"

Persephone raised an eyebrow, then nearly snarled at him, "_Yes_, there's a problem. You can't just….destroy people that are in your way!"

He blinked again, opened his mouth, and then closed it, staring at her in confusion. There was a long pause between them, and then he spoke, uneasily, "Look, Seph, babe…it's not like I'll be killing him, like, cruelly….force-feed him the mortal potion, kill him, the end. Zeus and Hera won't even miss him—"

"Hades!"

"Well, they won't," Hades snapped, "I mean, come on, kid's like three months old. They haven't even had time to get used to him yet, so taking him away won't make that much of a difference—"

"_Hades!_" Persephone stared at him in disbelief, her lips slightly parted in shock. "Dear gods, you're out of your mind."

"Thanks," said Hades dryly, and sat back in his throne, like the matter was over.

It was _not_ over, needless to say.

"Hades," Persephone spoke as patiently as she could, "I'm being serious here. You are not going to touch that child."

He fixed her with a glare, a rare look to be directed at her. "And you're going to stop me?" questioned Hades flatly, and before she could reply he continued, "I'm bein' serious, too. I _am_ going to touch that child, and I assure you Zeus and Hera won't even notice he's gone. 'Kay?" Hades scowled stubbornly. "I'm not letting some stupid godling interfere with my master plan."

"He's not just some stupid godling. He's your nephew."

"So, what, now all of a sudden you're on their side?" Hades' tone was unpleasantly mocking, and Persephone grit her teeth and moved closer to him angrily.

"On their side? I'm on their side if I disapprove of the murder of an innocent kid?" she repeated scathingly, "Whatever, Hades." Persephone paused, then repeated, to make sure he knew, "You're _not hurting that kid._"

* * *

Hades folded his arms stubbornly, and forced his boiling thoughts to simmer down.

Who was she to tell him what to do? Yes, she was his wife, and yes, he loved her, but, still. Hades would much rather love her up on Olympus, instead of down in this disgusting pit known as the Underworld. And that would never happen unless she backed off, let him take care of his demi-clod of a nephew, and then proceed with his release-the-Titans plan.

However, Hades knew Persephone very well, much like she knew him, and he knew for a fact that she wouldn't back down unless she got what she wanted.

Of course, he wasn't about to back down either. But the easiest way to get rid of her would just be to nod and smile and play along.

"Okay. Fine," said Hades, shrugging, pretending to relent. The god of the Underworld drummed his long, thin fingers on the arm of his throne. "Fine. Jerkules won't be touched. Matter's over. Seeya, have a nice day." He shooed her away with one hand and shot a serpentine smile at her.

Persephone stared at him, pretty violet eyes wide, and then suddenly narrowed. "Hades."

"Yes?" he said, blinking innocently.

"I'm not stupid," said Persephone.

His innocent, sweet look faltered, then dropped entirely. "I'm giving you what you wanted. Take it or leave it, 'cuz that's as far as I'm going."

Persephone eyed him warily. Oh, it was so obvious she knew full-well that he was flat out lying to her. "You won't hurt him?" she asked anyway, tilting her head.

"Nope. I'll just work around him." Hades shot another overly sweet smile at her. "No problem. Thanks for your concerns. Toodles."

Persephone stayed put. She looked over to the cradle in the corner of the throne room, saw that Macaria was still asleep, then focused back on her husband.

"She's the same age as Hercules is," said Persephone, turning back to Hades and lifting a hand to point at baby Maci. "Right down to the second."

"I know," Hades raised an eyebrow, giving her a look, "Your point being…?"

"My point being, if you do something to Hercules, it'll be like doing something to Macaria. They're the same age. They're cousins, even." She paused, folding her arms in a stubborn way over her chest. "You say that since Hercules is little, Zeus and Hera won't miss him, but what if someone took away Maci all of a sudden? You can't say that you wouldn't notice she's gone. You can't say that you wouldn't be upset."

He was silent, staring at the cradle that contained his infant daughter. "…That's different," he said finally, and tore his yellow eyes away from the cradle, focusing back on Persephone.

"They're the same age, Hades. If Zeus and Hera haven't gotten used to Hercules yet, then we obviously couldn't have gotten used to Macaria."

_Damn, she's got a point,_ Hades thought bitterly and sighed loudly, a scowl pulling at his features.

"I said I wouldn't do anything to him," said Hades firmly, despite the now nagging voice in the back of his head that Seph had awoken. It was telling him that it was all wrong, that he shouldn't be doing it, that blah blah blah…

She was quiet again, pausing before speaking once more.

"I don't believe you," Persephone said.

"You don't trust me?" inquired Hades.

"Not at the moment, no," she said.

He rose from his throne again and went to her, raising an eyebrow while peering down at her. "That kinda sucks, what's a relationship without trust, ya know?" said Hades, smirking slightly.

Persephone regarded him with a small scowl. "You're funny," she said dryly, "But, really, Hades. If you want to convince me that you're actually not going to hurt Hercules, you'll have to try a _bit_ harder then that. Sorry." She shrugged brightly and backed away from him to sit back in her own throne, one leg crossed over the other.

Hades scowled and sat back down himself. They were both quiet, until he suddenly sighed loudly, sounding annoyed. "Seriously, Persephone…why can't I get rid of that stupid kid?!"

"Because you can't," said Persephone flatly.

"You can't stop me," he said just as flatly.

"We'll see about that," Persephone said coolly.

He grit his teeth together and hid another scowl as best as he could. Damn her, damn this, damn Hercules…ugh.

"I won't hurt him, I already told you," said Hades, switching back to his initial tactic. She didn't even look at him, just kept that cool 'I don't believe you in the slightest' expression on her pink face, her arms still folded.

"Oh, really?" said Persephone, still not turning.

"Yes, really," said Hades patiently.

She didn't answer right away, and then finally turned, raising an eyebrow. "Promise?" said Persephone.

"Promise," Hades said, crossing his fingers on the other side of the throne so that she couldn't see.

Again, she was quiet. Then, suddenly, Persephone smirked, staring at Hades with triumph in her eyes.

"Swear on the Styx, Hades, if you're really not going to hurt Hercules," said Persephone and shot Hades a sweet, simpering smile. The violet orbs that were her eyes contained an evil glint that made Hades want to throw a temper tantrum in frustration.

_Dammit, she got me,_ the god thought bitterly, and scowled at her, his mind racing under his flames. He was searching for a loophole, there had to be a loophole…

"Go on, swear it." Persephone was smiling brightly, knowing she had him trapped. "You said you were telling the truth, so it should be no problem, right?"

He hesitated for a moment longer, then started, somewhat satisfied, "I swear on the Styx that I won't lay a single finger on—"

"Oh, no," Persephone interrupted, her smile faltering and then returning, "I'm not _stupid_, Hades, I know your….loophole-ing ways."

He scowled. "Then what would you like me to say?" Hades practically snarled at her, his arms folded stubbornly.

Persephone thought for a second. "Repeat after me," she instructed, "'I, Hades, swear on the River Styx, that I will not in any way, shape, or form harm Zeus and Hera's infant son Hercules.'" She smiled again, satisfied.

Still scowling, Hades repeated the words. What choice did he have? _Now I can blame you for being stuck in the Underworld,_ he thought bitterly, shooting her yet another scowl.

Her smile only stretched, and the Queen of the Underworld smugly rose from her throne and crossed to Macaria's cradle. Persephone lifted the infant into her arms, and Maci stirred in her sleep, her small fist closing around a lock of her mother's light blonde hair. Turning to face Hades again, Persephone smirked now, and shrugged one shoulder. "I'm satisfied now," she confided to Hades, sounding positively evil, in his opinion, "Good luck thinking of a non-causality-inducing-plan!" She waved with her free hand and vanished with Maci, leaving a very furious Hades scowling and gritting his teeth on his throne.

How could she….turn on him like this? She knew it had been his life's goal to conquer Olympus since….ever, really. So how could she be so cruel as to force him to swear against any harm directed at the one creature that stood in his way. Olympus had been so close. It would have been right in his reach in 18 years, but Hercules had been blocking that path. And it would have been so easy to knock him out of that path, but Persephone had to switch sides. Now he was bound by Styx—

Yellow eyes widened maliciously all of a sudden as Hades uncovered a loophole that neither he or Persephone had spotted.

She had made him swear not to harm Hercules. Yup, _him._ Alone in their throne room, Hades smirked to himself and forgave Persephone in his mind.

The oath had said _nothing_ about having Pain and Panic do the deed.

* * *

~Author's Note~ Sorry for the delay in updating...homework, drama club, etc have been draining my time, and also I kinda had no idea where I was going to go with the next chapter so I wanted to delay posting this one until I knew where I was going next. (I worked out a mini-schedule, so it's all good now. ^-^) Also, I just want to warn you people who dislike reading incredibly long fanfics that this fic will be one of those. We're on the 16th chapter and the main plot hasn't even really started yet (ugh, yeah, bad planning on my part. I apologize, I didn't think it'd take 16 chapters to get this far Dx), and furthermore, it won't be starting for at least 6 chapters...I'm guessing the story, when finished, will be around 30 or 40 chapters. XD; So if you don't like long fics, just turn around now. XD

Also, we haven't gotten up to anything too bad yet, seeing as Maci's still an infant, but in future chapters, things are going to touch upon somewhat delicate subjects (sex and violence, to be vague; I don't want to give anything away...) when the plot gets rolling. This fic will be a bit darker then TRCC is, (not so much that I have to boost the rating up to Mature, at least, I don't think so O_O) so be warned. This is a bit of an extreme warning-in-advance, because like I said, the plot won't start until about 6 chapters and then the iffy-dark parts won't start until much after that, but I just wanted to warn you all and notify you all of the future chapter content while I'm remembering to do so.

That'll be all! Review me and stay tuned for the next update! 8D


	17. Part 17: Chapter XVI

**_This _Persephone and Macaria are MINE. Anyone who uses them without my permission gets thrown in the Phlegethon River.**

**Everything/everyone else belongs to Disney. Use 'em at your own risk.**

**_Little Miss Flames and Flowers_**

Chapter XVI- Persephone Freaks Out and A Solution to the Pomegranate Agreement-with-Maci Problem is Discovered

"**_HADES!!_**"

Oddly reminiscent of when Hades had stormed angrily into the throne room a few days ago, the throne room doors banged open and Persephone entered the room, her fists clenched at her sides. She looked absolutely murderous and Hades raised an eyebrow at her. Macaria, in his arms, blinked, just as confused.

"Is there something wrong?" Hades asked sweetly and his eyes opened wide in surprise as she screamed at him.

"_How could you do this?! Are you out of your mind?! Didn't I tell you not to touch him? YOU SWORE ON THE STYX!_" she screamed and he blinked, cocking his head as innocently as he could.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, _I _didn't touch the kid," Hades tried to explain, somehow knowing that it was a bit of a lost cause, "You made me swear that _I _wouldn't touch him, and hey, I didn't."

"No?" Persephone's voice had lowered from a scream, but was still dripping with anger and sarcasm, "Then explain to me why Zeus and Hera's son has gone conveniently missing a few days after you 'swore' not to hurt him."

She was appalled, stunned beyond reason and furious as well. He had sworn not to hurt him right in _front_ of her! An oath sworn on the Styx was _unbreakable_ and he had gone right around that and...

And what? What had he done? Persephone wasn't even sure. Demeter had told her yesterday, sounding distressed and worried, that baby Hercules had been kidnapped and that Zeus and Hera were in a fit of panic. A part of her had wanted to scowl and rat her husband out right then and there, but a bigger part of her had told her to keep her mouth shut for his and Maci's sake. Persephone had feigned shock, worry, and had thrown a few wild suggestions as to the baby's whereabouts Demeter's way. But she had left to her and Hades' quarters with a sickening feeling in her stomach. Only she and her husband knew where the infant had disappeared to, and chances were he was lying dead in a field somewhere.

She had just acted on impulse after recovering from the fit of worry and shock that had overcame her, but although most of her emotions were squished by rage, the worry and shock still remained. Persephone tried to imagine what it would be like to have little Macaria suddenly vanish from their lives, that smiling, pink baby in Hades' arms suddenly gone and probably dead - she couldn't do it. But she could understand the fear and terror the Olympian parents must've been going through, and for one of the first times in her life, Persephone sympathized with them.

But pushing the whole Hercules matter aside, Persephone realized how much it hurt that he had gone around her like that. It was nearly physically painful - they had been married for so long, more then 100 years and still counting, now with a child of their own, and never once before this had he ignored her so blatantly, and swerved right around her unease and desperate wishes. It was like she didn't matter all of a sudden. It was like Olympus was suddenly the most important thing in his life, pushing her aside, even pushing baby Maci aside...and it hurt that he had broken her trust so carelessly. She _had_ trusted him after he had sworn, and had gone to bed without a worry on her mind, sure that he would stick to his promise and leave the Prince of Olympus alone. How could she have misjudged him so badly? It hurt....yes, it did. But her personal feelings had to be pushed to the side – Hercules was more important at the moment.

Right?

_Evidently not. _"How could you do this to me?" she snapped at him, looking distressed.

At these words, Hades looked significantly uncomfortable.

_You damn well should be,_ she thought viciously, _You're breaking our marriage into little, tiny pieces._

"Look," he said this matter-of-factly, "I didn't do _anything_ to _you._"

"You lied to me, how 'bout?" she offered dryly. Macaria stirred in Hades' arms and whined a little, then yawned adorably. She was tired, obviously (sitting around in her parent's arms and being cute took a _lot_ of effort, of course) and Persephone wished she would sleep… if only she and Hades weren't yelling so much…

"I did _not_ lie to you," Hades said indignantly. Macaria blinked big, violet eyes at her mother, craned her head to look at her father, then exclaimed something in baby talk.

There was a pause, then Hades added, glowering, "I just twisted the truth a little."

"That's a _lot_ better," snapped Persephone, sarcasm dripping off her words.

"What, did you really expect me to give up my life's ambition that easily?" Hades snarled, standing up and suddenly flaring. Thank the gods Maci was fireproof… oblivious to the sudden heat and the sudden tension, she gurgled something else in baby language and pouted. "Really, Persephone, don't you know me better then that?!"

She glared at him, fists clenched at her sides, unfazed by the flames. "Forgive me," she spat, "for _foolishly_ thinking that my _dear_ husband would make a promise to his wife—" She paused and drew a breath, then screamed, "—AND KEEP IT!"

"My life's ambition!" Hades shouted back without hesitation, "I'll keep a promise about anything but my freaking _life's ambition_!!"

Macaria, startled by the two sudden loud noises, started to cry loudly.

Instantly, the two gods quieted, leaving little Maci's wails as the loudest sound in the room. Hades stared dully at his daughter, extinguishing. Persephone extended a hand cautiously, motherly instincts kicking in.

Wordlessly, he rose and passed Macaria to Persephone. A few moments passed and then the screaming gave way to whimpering, which in turn gave way to silence and she fell asleep…

Persephone's gaze slowly rose back to Hades. They glared at each other for a moment, and then she sighed.

"Never mind us," Persephone finally sighed, "What about Hercules? About Zeus and Hera?"

Hades was satisfied with the subject change and returned to his throne, watching Persephone rock Maci back and forth in her arms before calmly replying, "What about them?"

This only frustrated her further, however. "What _about_ them?!" she hissed, taking care to keep her voice low for Macaria's sake, "You… you _murdered_ their son, and you're asking—"

"Hey, hey, hey, I didn't do a thing," he injected, grinning like a Jack o'lantern, "Pain and Panic did the dirty work—"

"What_ever_," she snapped, "The point is, Hercules is dead, okay? And you can't even figure out what the big deal is?!"

He narrowed his eyes. "I know what the big deal is. I just don't care," he said easily and rolled his yellow orbs.

Persephone sighed again. "Poor Zeus and Hera… gods, that poor kid…" She shook her head sadly. "Hades, what's _wrong_ with you?"

He rolled his eyes again, luckily unseen by her – she was staring at Macaria, trying to imagine what it would be like if she was taken away from them, killed just for the sake of some stupid, dangerous plan. "Look, he's dead now, 'kay?" Hades scowled at her, then flashed her a reptilian smile, "Doesn't really matter one way or the other, it's done now…"

"But…" Persephone's voice trailed off and she looked upset.

"Over and done with," Hades said firmly and stood up again, crossing over to her and talking as he went, "Nothing more we can do."

Persephone sighed.

"Poor wittle Zeusie and Hera'll get over it," the god of the Underworld continued calmly, "But, hey, the deed's been done, Jerkules is dead, outta the picture, mission accomplished, goal achieved, the end of the game. Can't change it. So let's just, ya know, go with it." He raised an eyebrow, smirked, and held out a hand to her in truce. "Forget about the godling formerly known as _alive_; he's _dead_. Gone. No doubt about it. Period, end of story. Push 'im outta your mind, mkay? Let's not go insane over this stupid little thing."

Persephone hesitated and then took his hand. The light, glowing pink was swallowed by the larger grey, and after a moment, Persephone's eyes fluttered back to Hades. Macaria was in her other arm, comfortable in the crook of her elbow, sleeping peacefully now that the volume had lowered.

"Fine," said Persephone reluctantly, but she still felt upset and guilty… Wasn't she technically an accomplice in this? "Doesn't make it any less wrong, though," she pointed out.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," said Hades and rolled his eyes. "C'mon, don't linger on it, Seph… you're married to a villain, after all." He paused and smirked. "Get used to it."

She sighed again and paced away from him, still distressed. Cradling Macaria a little tighter, she told Hades, not turning around, "They…they don't know that you did it, you know…"

"You didn't tell 'em?" he said from behind her back.

"I didn't know for sure that it'd been you," said Persephone quietly, "I didn't want to make assumptions, and get you in trouble for something that you didn't do, so… I just kept my mouth shut, smiled, nodded, sympathized, whatever…"

"Psht, you really couldn't figure out that it was me?"

She rolled her eyes. "I thought it was you right off the bat, I just didn't know for sure… I mean, there was a tiny chance that you actually were innocent, I didn't want…" She pursed her lips. "Just…wanted to make sure it was you before I said anything—" Persephone stopped, realizing that her words hadn't sounded the way she'd wanted them to. Hades had realized it too, surely — he had tensed and was slowly starting to scowl.

"I won't tell," she said quickly and honestly. "Don't think I will, Hades…I'd never betray you like that." It was wrong, what he had done. It was sick, and twisted. But Persephone wouldn't say a word to Zeus and Hera and Demeter and anyone/everyone else who wanted to know. Hades was still her husband, and she still loved him. She could never do something that'd get him hurt or jailed or in trouble or taken away from her. Especially not with Maci in the picture.

"Zeus and Hera'll flip their lids if they find out about this," Hades told her flatly. Like she needed him to remind her… "Keep your mouth shut," he said.

"I will, I will," assured Persephone and vanished to the corner to place Macaria in her cradle.

"I wouldn't do that to you," she continued from over there, "Really, I wouldn't."

He had been eyeing her warily, but she was to be trusted, he knew that. "Good," Hades said, and sat back in his throne, satisfied.

Neither of them saw Pain and Panic, shadows in the darkness, grinning to each other in silent victory. Only they (and Hercules, of course, and soon Zeus and the others — although the imps didn't know this) knew that, no, Hercules wasn't dead… He was merely mortal, resting on Earth with his new foster parents.

…As long as Hades was happy, they were. He didn't need to know the truth right now.

…or hopefully ever.

* * *

A few days later, Persephone flopped face down on her and Hades' bed, alone in the dark room, feeling a little happy over being able to flop without a pregnant belly in the way.

Hades had Macaria at the moment (they really were the picture of adorable-ness, and besides, Seph trusted him with her) and she was _blissfully_ alone. Yeah, she loved Macaria (and Hades), and she loved having a daughter and being a mother, but for the love of Zeus, it was exhausting. She was thankful for the moments of peace, despite how cheery and adorable her baby, pyrokinetic daughter was…

So Persephone was unpleasantly surprised when there was a sudden flash of green and Demeter appeared in the room, her arms folded in front of her chest.

Persephone, startled, sat up hurriedly and glared at her mother. What was she doing here in the Underworld? She still had a month left to go before spring…

"Can I help you?" said Persephone. Her tone was icy.

"Sorry for bursting in like this all uninvited," said Demeter, but she didn't sound sorry in the slightest, "However, we've got matters to discuss. I see you're not busy, so you obviously won't mind if I borrow a moment of your time."

"Borrowing means I'll be getting it back," Persephone said, rolling her eyes. Demeter ignored her, and started to look around at her surroundings. After a moments pause, she spoke in tones of disgust,

"Gods, _this_ is your bedroom down here?" she wrinkled up her green nose, "How disturbingly dismal. Have you ever considered hiring one of Olympus' decorators to fix this place up a little? Maybe a little less… black?"

"I'm really not looking for your approval in terms of mine and my husband's décor," Persephone said, scowling, "You came here for a reason, mother dearest. Kindly proceed with that reason and quit criticizing."

Demeter rolled her eyes. "What's your hurry?" she snapped back to her daughter, then continued, "I came to talk to you about the Pomegranate Agreement." Cue dramatic pause. "Spring is next month, you know."

Persephone's annoyed expression faltered and she winced, sitting back down on the bed. "I know," sighed Persephone quietly. She had been thinking about it a lot…

"You'll be returning to Olympus as usual," continued Demeter, and raised an eyebrow, "…right?"

Suddenly, Persephone understood why she had come. Demeter had realized, either on her own or thanks to someone else pointing it out, that now that a baby was involved, Persephone would be even more hesitant to leave then she usually was. And this time, she had a valid reason for it. Seperating Macaria from her father at such an early age would cause nothing but problems when Maci got older. If the baby stayed with Hades for the six months, well, that would solve the father problem, but then Maci'd be estranged from her mother… and besides, the gods and goddesses of Olympus would most likely not want Hades alone with a child, for their own stupid prejudiced reasons.

Demeter must've known that she would have been thinking of this, and that she'd refuse to go, and the goddess of plants had come to convince her to leave the Underworld on schedule…

Truth be told, Persephone had thought of all of this already, and had been all set to break the Pomegranate Agreement when springtime rolled around. Demeter, though, had been unexpected.

She'd say no to Demeter's question; she had to, for Macaria's sake. She was just a baby, a few months old. Take her away from daddy (or mommy, whatever) for six whole months… that was a long time for a baby, even an immortal one. Take her away for that long and she would forget the parent she was away from, grow up not associating them as 'mom' or 'dad.' Persephone wanted her daughter to know who her parents were…

She wasn't asking for the Pomegranate Agreement to be completely and permanently repealed, because she knew that Demeter would never agree to it, and also, she had no desire to kill the Earth's mortals by starving said Earth. But Persephone did need Macaria with both her and Hades; she'd ask for just a slight lift of the contract. Just for a little while, until Maci was a little older. Five years tops, with visits for Persephone every week so the Earth didn't die completely.

"No," said Persephone to Demeter calmly, snapping out of her thoughts. As predicted, her mother's eyes widened in horror.

"But—but you have to!" Demeter gasped dramatically, her hand flying up to her mouth, "It's—it's a written contract, you can't just—just break it!"

"I have my reasons," said Persephone in that same calm tone, "I want Maci to be raised somewhat normally."

"You can do that on Earth!" said Demeter desperately.

"But Macaria can't be with her father on Earth," replied the Queen of the Underworld, "I want her to be with both her parents, not just him." She paused. "I'm only doing this for my daughter's well-being. You know I stick to the Agreement, however grudgingly."

Demeter frowned. "It'll only be for six months every year. She'll never even realize she's ever gone—"

"Six months is forever to a baby!" Persephone interjected, "So much can happen in six months. Maybe she'll entirely forget Hades. Maybe she won't, but going away for so long each year at such a young age'll sever her relationship with him. I want him to be in her life."

"He can be in her life for six months a year," snapped Demeter.

"He can't, and he won't have to. I'm staying, dammit."

Demeter stared at her daughter, poised on the bed with her glowing, pink arms crossed over her chest, her nose stuck firmly in the air. There was no budging her. No amount of persuasion could change her mind, Demeter could tell… and it wasn't like she could just up and drag her up to Earth when the time came. Her baby Sephy was a mother now; she could hardly treat her as a child, even though she'd try and try and try again no matter what…

Demeter sighed, her face falling. Instead of protesting, she merely sighed again, louder.

"Fine," said Demeter coldly, and Persephone couldn't believe it, "Explain your plan, then."

"…five years with Maci and Hades, in the Underworld," Persephone voiced after a moment's pause, "She'll be old enough to know where she's from and who her parents are once the five years are up, and then the cycle'll start over again.

Demeter stared at her for a moment. "But, Persephone…the mortals…you _know_ I swore on the Styx that nothing on Earth will grow if you're in the Underworld." Her voice turned haughty. "Five years will kill off the entire species."

Persephone simply nodded instead of snapping at her, "I'm not that heartless," she told her mother, "You won't have to break the oath, okay? I'll just visit once a week—"

"Once a week isn't enough."

Persephone sighed. "Fine, then once a day, for a few hours, I guess… I'll be away from home more then I would like to be, but it's better then confusing Macaria or killing everyone off."

Demeter was quiet for a moment. "…sounds reasonable, I suppose," she finally sighed dejectedly, scowling.

_Thank the gods!_ Persephone thought, overjoyed, her face lighting up, _Even a lunatic like her can see the sense in my reasoning._

"But I want daily updates," Demeter cut into her thoughts sharply, and Persephone deflated, scowling, "No, hourly. Every day during spring and summer when this kicks in." Persephone stared in horror. "I'd feel safer knowing where you were when I'm supposed to have you with me and I don't," she continued, "It's either that or we go about business as usual. Take it or leave it."

Feeling very sulky, Persephone pouted. "F_ine_…"

Demeter smiled, looking in much better spirits. "Excellent. And also…" She thought for a moment, "I want access to the Underworld whenever I need to see you during spring and summer. Tell Hades that I'm welcome here for six months, for five years." Persephone scowled.

"Fine," she said flatly. At least she was finally getting what she wanted…

Demeter grinned. "Oh, it'll be like you're with me 24/7 now!" squealed Demeter happily, "I'll get to see you all the time! I'll go inform Zeus of the temporary arrangement, and everything will be fine." She started to glow green. "Remember, Sephy, every hour when spring starts!" Demeter pointed a sharp, warning finger at her daughter and vanished, satisfied, in a burst of emerald.

Persephone lingered on the bed for a moment. She had gotten what she had wanted; Demeter had finally let her have her way. Macaria would grow up with both her parents (of course, once she turned five, she'd have, um, fieldtrips to go on with her mother, but that was besides the point…) and be happy. She had gotten her way!

…okay, the hourly part kind of sucked, but it was better with nothing. After all, every good deal had a catch.

* * *

~Author's Notes~ Loki, if you're reading this, I'd appreciate a sign that you're still alive, thanks. :D ...Elisa and I are kindave spazzing...ye-ah. XD;

So anyway. Sorry for the gigantic delay; drama club is eating my soul. o_O Rehearsals every day until 5:30 pm, plus homework, plus the little amount of socializing I do... yeah, it takes a while. XP

Also! Plot is coming up in about four chapters (I said six last chapter. Wow. Fail.) so I'd just like to remind you all that once the plot's...plot kicks in, things are gonna be getting about as dark as I can get with a T rating. Back out now, or venture forth and don't complain when things get violent. Kaythanks.

Stay tuned for the next update!


	18. Part 18: Chapter XVII

**_This _Persephone, Macaria, Nyx, and Erebus are MINE. Anyone who uses them without my permission gets thrown in the Phlegethon River.**

**Everything/everyone else belongs to Disney. Use 'em at your own risk.**

**_Little Miss Flames and Flowers_**

Chapter XVII- Macaria's Milestones

"Not that I have a real big problem with it or anything," Meg cut into Persephone's story with a crooked eyebrow, studying her nails dryly, "But your daughter's life story seems to be mostly about Hercules."

Hercules blinked and turned to look at her. "Hey—"

"I said, I didn't have anything wrong with it," Meg assured him, and turned back to Persephone, "But I can hear all about Wonderboy's life from Zeus and Hera and Alcmene and Amphitryon. I wanna here about Macaria. I don't know anything about Macaria."

"You're going to find out about me and Hades' conversations from Zeus and Hera?" Persephone muttered under her breath, and then louder said, "I'm getting to it. Hercules happens to be a part of Macaria's early life. It's important." She paused. "And besides, the Pomegranate Agreement thing wasn't about Hercules."

"No, but it wasn't directly involving Macaria, either," Meg pointed out, "Come on, we came here for a biography. Can ya please give us one?"

"I'm trying to avoid drifting into fluffy baby stories about her," said Persephone flatly.

"Aw, but that'd be so cute..." said Hercules, grinning lopsidedly.

"Aw, but Maci'd kill me for it," Persephone rolled her eyes.

"Aw, but we wanna know anyway." Meg smirked. Persephone rolled her eyes again.

"Fine. I relent. But when she finds out about this, I'm sending her your way." She fixed both of them with a glare, thought for a moment, then continued with a shrug.

* * *

Hunched over his chessboard, Hades was dead to the world.

Jerkules was outta the picture (he had no knowledge of the recent going-ons up on Olympus, where the infant godling had been discovered mortal but alive down on Earth), but things still needed to be set up for his 18 year plan. He moved the Minotaur piece away from its tiny clay labyrinth and positioned it by a tiny clay Olympus. _Possible ally?_ he thought absently, then, rather smugly, _Most definitely—_

Thoughts and his chessboard were pushed out of his mind as Persephone (her voice was coming from downstairs, their bedroom or Maci's) screamed his name, sounding annoyed. He blinked. She wasn't hurt; if she had been, she wouldn't have sounded so irritated, and Maci's health had to be intact for the same reason. Setting the Minotaur piece aside, Hades snapped his fingers, willing himself by Persephone's side. In a curl of smoke, he reappeared in Macaria's room.

The infant princess was in her crib, lying on her back and trying to eat her index and middle fingers. Persephone stood at her side, one hand on her hip, the other hand outstretched towards Hades. He took a step closer and raised an eyebrow at the prick of golden ichor on the tip of her thumb.

"So guess who got her first tooth?" Persephone asked Hades flatly, an eyebrow raised, her mouth twisted into half a scowl, half a smirk. He cocked his head towards Macaria, whose eyes traveled to him absently.

"Aw, she's growing up," Hades rolled his eyes and folded his arms, "The big deal is…?"

"She bit me," said Persephone.

He stared at her then snickered and rolled his eyes again. "Oh, gosh. What a disaster. Let's just call the paramedics now." Pause. "Seph, she's a baby, how much harm could a baby tooth do?" Hades shook his head at her in a 'Silly Persephone, you should know better, stop being dramatic' way.

Persephone glared at him, then turned to Macaria and picked her up. Turning the baby towards Hades, Persephone opened Macaria's mouth, pulling the baby's fingers away at the same time.

Hades blinked.

"I blame you for this," said Persephone, pursing her lips. She removed her finger from her mouth and Maci snapped it shut like some kind of shark or alligator. The one new fang that had grown in her gums was covered up. Hades tried and failed to hide a snicker.

"My fault? So she's got fangs, s'not like I put 'em there." He watched as Persephone set Maci back in her crib. She promptly started eating her fingers again.

"No, but you're the one with fang-genes," Persephone informed him, but there was the trace of a smirk on her lips, "Your fault." With that, she strode out of the room.

* * *

By the time she was eight months old, Macaria had learned to sit up, at first using Hades' chessboard or throne as a support before she had gotten the hang of it herself. Now, she sat on the floor in the mildly dusty, dark throne room, happily teething on Pain's tail.

Maci seemed to enjoy spending time with Pain and Panic out of all of them (and out of all of them, they seemed the most obviously taken with her), mostly because they were small enough for her to play with. Chewing (gumming, rather) on their tails had been a favorite past-time for her a few months ago; now, it was even more so, due to the fact that she had new teeth (fangs) coming in. Hades approved (barely, albeit— he had confided to Persephone that he was sure she'd get some kind of imp disease from teething on them) because it saved them from having to hear her cry, and now with her fangs coming in, it caused extra torture for them.

Pain and Panic – understandably – didn't like this too much.

"Hades, she's hurting my tail," whined Pain, trying vainly to squirm away from the young goddess – but gently, so he wouldn't hurt her. Of course, gentle force did nothing to help him, and morphing was out of the question (he didn't want her to start eating some animal and have Hades freak out on him), so he stayed pathetically in place, dominated by an eight month old godling.

No sympathy was found with the Lord of the Dead, sitting in his throne and filling out paperwork while idly watching his daughter. He raised an eyebrow, rolled his eyes, and smirked down at Pain. "She's a baby, stupid, what did you expect? A cup of nectar and a nice chat?" He rolled his eyes again and dropped his gaze back to the scroll in his lap. "Sheesh."

"Is Persephone back from seeing Demeter yet?" whined Panic quietly to Pain, trying discreetly to pull Maci away from his counterpart. Macaria exclaimed something in angry baby talk, letting go of Pain's tail in the process. It was covered in drool and fang marks. "She can keep the baby from… from eating us alive."

"Why did she have to get fangs?" hissed Pain, mostly to himself and hugged his tail to his chest, then to Panic said, "If she was back, wouldn't she be with Hades?" Panic nodded, "True…"

"Fghpbegkfoelmj," said Macaria flatly, and both stared in confusion. Baby talk was a mystery to them both.

She was staring at them darkly, hands outstretched. Pain and Panic exchanged nervous glances.

"…your turn!" Pain cried quickly and shoved Panic towards the infant, her soft whining and garbled baby talk giving way to happy squeals and she latched onto Panic tightly. Panic yelped.

"Shut up," said Hades absently, glaring at the imps over his scroll. Panic whimpered — quietly.

"Someone get her away from me!" wailed Panic (quietly) to Pain and Pain put all of his weight into yanking Panic away from Maci. Macaria's fists, which had been closed around Panic's turquoise tail, released and she let him go, a startled cry escaping her lips. She looked as if she might burst into tears.

Quickly, they moved away from her.

Macaria stared at them, even closer to crying as she realized they were out of her reach. She extended her arms desperately, to no avail. Maci whimpered and tried again, with the same results.

The imps were watching her nervously. She couldn't get to them, though, no way; all she could do was sit up and roll around on the floor.

Macaria suddenly fell onto her stomach with a little 'whump.' Hades stopped scribbling to listen for tears but none came. Instead, he watched as Maci raised herself onto her hands and knees (a bit shakily) and crawled unsteadily over to the imps.

Hades smirked. His henchmen let out a simultaneous cry of anguish as she grabbed them both happily again.

"She hunted you down," Hades said smugly and returned to his paperwork. So now she could crawl; he supposed he and Persephone would have to keep a better eye on her now that she could move around.

Pain and Panic were meanwhile glaring at Hades while baby Maci giggled and chewed on their tails. Needless to say, both were less then thrilled about her newly acquired method of transportation.

* * *

Persephone had been pleasantly surprised when she had returned from seeing Demeter and Macaria had crawled over to greet her. She and Hades, after Maci had been put to bed, had agreed not to let her out of their sight now that she was mobile. It was only a matter of time, otherwise, before she wandered off and crawled off a cliff. At the very least, Pain and Panic could escort her everywhere… confining her to her room was another option, but Hades had pointed out that if she learned her way around the Underworld now, it'd be harder for her to get hurt when she got older. This had made sense to both of them. Besides, neither wanted to be like Demeter.

About a month later, give or take a few days, maybe a week, Macaria was crawling in happy circles around Hades' chessboard, her parents sitting on their thrones and discussing her. She didn't understand them fully, though; her vocabulary was very limited (simply baby talk and a few other random babbles [mama and dada were included in this, although they were just babbled words to her, nothing that she really connected with anything, so they couldn't count as _words_]) and although she was slowly beginning to understand plain Greek, her parents were just talking too fast for her to catch.

"Just saying, we're gonna have to watch her a little more carefully," Persephone said, "She knows how to move now…"

"Yeah, she'll be all over the place, now," Hades agreed, "Okay, fine. We'll hire a babysitter or something if we have to…" He rolled his eyes. "Look on the bright side, 'least she can't walk yet."

"That's true," Persephone nodded, "We've still got time before we really need to stalk her—" She suddenly cut off, wide eyed. "…actually, we might not have as long as we thought."

"Huh?" Hades followed her gaze and blinked. Somehow, Macaria had managed to grab onto Hades' chessboard and pull herself up, and she was wobbling upright in her knee-length chiton (no chiton pins, she was too little for those) and her lace-up sandals. Truthfully, she looked just as surprised as Hades and Persephone were. Macaria wobbled again and fell down, sitting stunned for a moment before resuming her crawl around the chessboard.

Yes, it was only a matter time before she figured out how to walk now.

"Oh gods," said Hades.

And, as predicted, a few days after her first birthday (there had been a small celebration with just the three of them, since Hades wasn't big on parties and Persephone didn't feel the effort was too necessary, but Macaria had enjoyed it all the same), Macaria was playing in her room with Persephone when she suddenly got the bright idea to cling to her crib. With her mother holding the piece of furniture in place so it wouldn't tip over, Macaria hoisted herself up, let go, caught her balance, then teetered a few steps forwards before plopping back down. With big violet eyes, Macaria twisted over to look at Persephone, who was staring at her all excited and wide eyed, then beamed, sensing she had accomplished something important.

"Nghjeuhdksuqhid," said Macaria proudly. Persephone just giggled and hugged her daughter.

* * *

Once she had taken her first steps, Macaria had become obsessed with walking, obsessed with getting it right. Clinging to her crib or the chessboard, the now 1 year old godling would slowly make her way around perimeters. Upon mastering this (and she was very, very happy about it), Hades and Persephone had set her down on the floor away from cling-able objects and watched her pick herself up and try to move. Soon enough she had taken shaky steps all by herself; then she was toddling around like a regular pro.

Pain and Panic (her newly appointed babysitters) had been sitting down with her in the throne room, under Persephone and Hades' supervision, when suddenly, Panic let out an annoyed sound and turned to glare at Persephone.

"No offense or anything, but I think your daughter is brain-dead," said Panic huffily. Pain nodded, scowling.

Persephone looked up, Hades darkly flaring up besides her. She observed the scene going on with Macaria and the imps; Maci was sitting on the floor with Pain and Panic in front of her, both of them looking annoyed and frustrated. Macaria, however, was smiling brightly with about half a mouth full of fangs, flailing her hands around.

"If she's moving, then she's not brain-dead," Persephone pointed out finally, rolling her eyes, "What's wrong?"

Both of them sent a scowl in Maci's direction, then turned fully to face Persephone and Hades. Well… mostly Persephone; he was already getting mad about the insult directed at his daughter. "We're trying to teach her to talk, but she's not learning anything!" whined Panic. "She's just ignoring us!" Pain added flatly.

Macaria giggled as if a joke had been told, and she threw her arms up in the air and randomly waved her hands.

"Well, being brain-dead obviously isn't the problem here," responded Persephone and rose from her jewel encrusted, flower-shaped throne. She went over to her daughter and her henchmen and knelt down to eyelevel with Maci, tilting her head.

"How old is she supposed to be when she starts talking?" asked Panic restlessly. Persephone shrugged. "Different for everyone, I guess," she replied, "She'll start eventually."

"But why can't she start now?" Pain whined, "She's one, isn't that old enough?"

"Let me try." Persephone pushed them away and faced Macaria, but the imps popped back in, trying again. "'Pain'?" offered Panic to her and Pain, in turn, offered, "'Panic?'"

Macaria stared at them blankly. Persephone chimed in, "'Mommy?'" Nothing. "'Daddy.'" Persephone tried after a moment's pause.

"Ghdsjhskidefigjem," said Macaria matter-of-factly.

"…I can see why this might be frustrating," said Persephone, pursing her lips. Macaria clapped her hands and giggled.

"Maybe she's retarded," Hades offered from his throne, watching the scene, amused.

"Real nice, Hades." Persephone rolled her eyes and fixed her attention back on Macaria. "'Persephone,'" she suggested, then, "'Seph.' 'Hades.' No? Okay…"

"Fdnjeyhdt!" Macaria exclaimed. Pain and Panic both groaned.

"Alright, stay calm, maybe she just doesn't… know how to say those sounds," Persephone shrugged one shoulder. "Alright, Maci… um… can you say 'flower?'"

She squealed and giggled, which pretty much meant either 'no' or 'I don't really feel like it right now.' Persephone frowned.

"Okay… uh… 'fire.'"

Macaria said nothing, but understood the word and threw her arms up into the air, sparks crackling around her hands.

"Does that count as a word? She knows it," said Panic doubtfully. "But she didn't say it, stupid," Pain shot back and thwacked his counterpart on the head.

Persephone ignored both of them, focused on Maci. "You know, you could make an effort to learn," she told her daughter with a raised eyebrow. Maci giggled.

"Maybe she's retarded," Hades offered again. Persephone turned and glared at him.

"'Pain,'" said Pain to Macaria, and Panic added, "'Panic?'" Persephone turned back to Macaria and continued, "'Mommy.' 'Daddy.' 'Hades.' 'Persephone…'"

The three of them were met with a blank stare.

"…alright, I'm done with this." Persephone stood up, hands on her hips. "If she wants to talk, she'll talk. Obviously, she's not ready."

"Darn," said Panic, scowling.

Persephone dusted off her chiton and turned to go back to Hades, pausing briefly to ask, "Anyone want a pomegranate? I'm gonna go get one… or a few…"

"Ew. No," said Panic, who wasn't very fond of the fruit. "No thanks," chimed Pain, who (shockingly) wasn't hungry at the moment. "Pass," said Hades.

"…pom'grant?" said Macaria eagerly.

Pain, Panic, Hades, and Persephone stopped and stared at the baby, who shrank back then laughed and clapped her hands together, sensing she had done something good.

"…oh, she's definitely your daughter, Sephy dearest," said Hades, smirking. Persephone beamed, too proud to even correct him about her nickname.

* * *

"Macaria, take those out of your mouth," said Persephone in a sort of alarm.

"No," said the now 15 month old goddess, who was becoming quite vocal, her face contorted into a scowl. She was in the throne room — a very familiar setting — with her parents, standing by the edge of the chessboard, several chesspieces in her firsts and one in her mouth. To the disgust of her mother, she was sucking on the pieces as if they were some kind of candy.

"I said she could," said Hades, hunched over on the opposite side of the chessboard.

"Ew. Hades, that's gross." Persephone frowned. "She's eating clay."

"Gross," echoed Maci happily.

Hades raised his eyes to Persephone. "She's just chewing on them."

"She could choke or something," said Persephone.

"She won't," said Hades.

"Won't," chimed Maci, "Nononononono."

"Dunno why you're not freaking out over this, usually you get all pissy when people touch your pieces," Persephone pointed out, eyebrow raised.

"Peeses," agreed Macaria solemnly.

Hades smirked. "Yeah, but that's Zeus' head she's biting off."

Persephone looked, and she could tell that the chesspiece Macaria was eating was Zeus, even with half of the figurine in Macaria's mouth. She sighed and rolled her eyes, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"She's still eating clay, regardless," Persephone rolled her eyes again. She reached over and pulled the piece, chipped and covered in baby drool, away, then plucked the other pieces out of Macaria's hand. Persephone dried the Zeus piece with her chiton and set it and the others back on the chessboard. Macaria scowled and made a whiny noise.

"Peeses mine," she muttered and Persephone picked her up, shaking her head, amused.

"Damn, she ruined it…" said Hades, staring at the disfigured Zeus piece, "Gotta make another one…"

"That's what you get for letting your 1 year old daughter eat clay," retorted Persephone, moving a lock of Maci's hair out of her face. The infant goddess' blonde hair had grown, about level with her chin. "Serves you right," she grinned, "You awful parent, you."

"Someone call Child Services," snickered Hades and crossed over to Macaria and Persephone. Macaria raised her hands. "Hi, daddy," she said brightly and sparks crackled and popped around her wrists and palms.

* * *

At 16 months, Macaria had added climbing to her lists of achievements. Her parents had found this out first when she had climbed out of her crib one morning and wandered around the palace for almost 20 minutes before someone found her, and then again when they had gone to the Phelegethon with her and she had scrambled up a pile of rocks and refused to come down. Now here she was, clinging to the side of the dresser in her parents' room like a little lizard, her mother watching her and giggling.

"Oh, gods, Maci, are you stuck?" Persephone laughed and then laughed harder as Macaria twisted around and shook her head indignantly, her expression dark. It was a 'come on, mom, how dumb do you think I am?' sort of look.

Hades suddenly appeared in the room, holding something purpleish out in front of him. He was dangling it as if it was something disgusting.

"So, question," he said, "Can you tell me just who in their right mind would ever _want_ this thing?"

Persephone raised an eyebrow while Macaria slid off the dresser.

"Daddy," the godling acknowledged, and then tilted her head, "Mine?"

"Dunno why you'd want it," said Hades, rolling his eyes. He tossed the stuffed animal in his hand to Persephone so she could examine it, and she did so, blinking.

"Weird," said Persephone and set the purple and ragged plush hydra on the bed next to her. "Where'd you find it?"

"Mine?" Macaria asked again, looking back and forth between her parents.

"Echidna gave it to me," said Hades, and rolled his eyes again, "One of her kids probably had it or something. She must've thought Maci'd like it, but come on…" He snorted. "It's so friggin' _weird._"

"Mine…" whined Macaria and ran to Persephone, arms outstretched. Persephone lifted into her lap, grinning. "Dunno, looks like Macaria wants it pretty badly."

"Mine!" squealed Macaria.

Hades shrugged. "Hey, if she wants it, fine, then. S'not like I'm gonna do anything with it, I mean, really." He snickered at the thought and reached over to hand the hydra to Macaria, who grabbed it and hugged it. "One god's trash is another godling's treasure," he rolled his eyes.

"Mine," said Macaria happily.

"Ugly little thing, isn't it?" Hades said.

Persephone blinked. "Who, Macaria? Hades, that's not very nice."

He stared in disbelief. "_No_, stupid," he smirked at her, elbowing her playfully, "Sheez, I meant the hydra thing."

"Oh," said Persephone, slapping her head to her forehead, "Well… you know, hydras aren't exactly pretty."

"Hi-dah!" squealed Macaria, lifting up the strange toy.

"Yes, hydra," Persephone giggled. Macaria laughed and hugged her hi-dah again.

"She likes it, though," mused Hades, raising an eyebrow. "She's Underworldian-born," said Persephone, "She's used to strange."

"Mine hi-dah," said Macaria solemnly and suddenly crawled away from her mother and plopped onto the floor, "Mine." She toddled off to cuddle Hi-dah in her room.

"Amusing child," said Hades, and smirked.

* * *

Macaria's second birthday was nearing and the godling was learning more and more as days and weeks and months flew by. Words were steadily being added to her vocabulary (she had had a somewhat real conversation with Hades about Cerberus the other day, much to his amusement) and things were steadily being learned. Now, not only could she walk, she could run and jump and climb.

Her newest thing was going up and down stairs.

Of course, going up was much, much easier then going down.

"Mommy?" called Macaria loudly, sitting at the top of a staircase with her legs sticking out over the edge of the top step, "Mommy, daddy?"

Both divinities appeared when called, at the bottom of the stairs.

"Oh, gods, not again…" Hades said, peering up at his daughter. Persephone shook her head, exasperated.

"Stuck," explained Macaria, "Help… get down?" She extended arms out towards her parents and Hades vanished to the top of the stairs, retrieved his daughter, and appeared back on the first floor.

"Don't go up stairs if you don't know how to get down, Maci," he chided, ignoring her semi-embarrassed scowl, "C'mon. Common sense."

"Sorry…" said Macaria as if she had been yelled at, and her head dropped to Hades' shoulder, a small fist closing around his chiton pin.

"Aw, she's tired," Persephone observed.

"Well, getting stranded at the top of staircases is a tiring ordeal," Hades smirked, sarcastic, and rolled his eyes.

* * *

Her second birthday came and went with no real events other then a discussion about Macaria's future position. She'd be appointed goddess of a blessed afterlife when she got older; mainly because of her name.

At 27 months, Macaria had mastered the complexity of a door. She had given up stair climbing in favor of door opening and her _new_ thing was wandering around the Underworld and opening every door she could find.

And Hades and/or Persephone were stuck with following her around and closing them.

She had opened the door on Nyx and Erebus at least 7 times (those two had more children then they could count and they still didn't mind making more), and she had let loose all different sorts of demons on multiple occasions.

After closing the door to Nyx and Erebus' place — again — Hades and Persephone were suddenly aware of loud banging and barking from off in the distance. They exchanged glances as Macaria came running up to them.

"Mommy, daddy," she said, eyes wide and eager, "Cerb'rus… puppy got out."

"Did he get out or did you let him out?" Hades said flatly. The gate to Cerberus' enclosure was high up but easy to access if you could climb, and Macaria could. It was a wonder she hadn't fallen.

She was wide-eyed, all innocence. "No," she said, obviously lying, "Puppy got OUT." Right on cue, Cerberus triple-barked and there was the sound of screaming as several suls were mauled by the giant hellhound.

"Put him back," said Macaria.

Something crashed and fell wherever Cerberus was. Hades buried his face in his hands; Persephone stood on her toes to try and locate Cerbie with her eyes, horrified.

"Put him back!" whined Macaria.

"I would've been so much better off with a goldfish," muttered Hades, starting forwards to find Cerberus.

"Puppy's nice," protested Macaria, toddling forwards to follow him.

"Yes, very," said Hades sarcastically, "But it's hard to let a goldfish out of it's cage and when they escape, they don't destroy everything in their path." He took her hand, and pulled her along.

"Of course, kids cause the same sort of destruction," he grinned after a moment, and Macaria giggled.

* * *

On the day after her third birthday (she had received her very own crown, simple and sparkly black), Macaria was alone. Her new crown lopsided on her head, she toddled along the banks of the river Styx, bare feet sinking in Stygian mud. She stopped suddenly, next to Charon's boat, on the other side of the fence that was still there. Macaria stared with wide violet eyes at the ferryman and his boat.

"Mine," said Macaria.

"…no, this is _my_ boat," said Charon, glaring eyelessly as the goddess on the other side of the fence. Charon bitterly wondered why she was wandering the banks of the Styx all by herself — wasn't very good parenting.

She looked annoyed. "_That_," she said huffily and stood on her tippy toes. Charon glanced at his barge pole, then held it up, "Also mine. I need this. Go away." He shook it at her and stuck it back in the water, adjusting the cape 'round his neck with a skeletal hand.

"No!" Macaria whined, "_THAT._ That. Shiny, mine!"

Charon looked around and realized with horror that she was talking about the glittering, wonderful coins he had collected today, scattered across the bottom of his boat.

"Keep dreaming, kid," snarled the much too greedy boatman, eyes narrowing. There was no way he was giving her a single drachma. No _way._ They were his; he had earned them fair and square. If she wanted money, she could damn well go to Hades: he was the god of wealth, after all. "Get lost, kid."

Macaria looked stunned. For a moment, she just stood there, then she climbed up on the black fence. She dangled her arms over the side of the fence, scowled, and flailed at him.

"Mine," she said sourly, "Maci wants it, _mine._"

"Mine," Charon snapped, "Go away."

She stared, not used to being refused, especially not so nastily. "Maci wants it," said Macaria slowly, eyes narrowing.

"Maci can't have it," retorted Charon, "Maci needs to shoo." He waved his hand at her as if she was an annoying insect. She stared, and then scowled, and then exploded.

"Gimme," she hissed venomously. Charon blinked and shrunk away. But only a little.

"No," he snapped.

She was bewildered and stunned, but unfazed, only flaring up more. Dangling herself over the side of the fence to try and reach the glittery coins that were attracting her attention, she screamed at him, "MACI WANTS IT."

"Maci's not getting it, go away!" He raised his bargepole as if he was gonna hit her, and she screamed again, "_GIMME!"_

"NO!" Charon yelled back, and Macaria fell back from the fence, stomped her feet in the mud, clenched her fists at her side and screamed at the top of her lungs, "DADDY!"

_Aw, crap,_ thought Charon, panicky, but Hades appeared before he could row away. The Lord of the Underworld was all fire and scowls, arms crossed over his chest.

"Charon, babe, for your sake, I sure hope you're not pissing off my daughter," said Hades.

Sulkily, Charon folded his arms. "She wanted my coins," he hissed, "I told her no."

"_Maci wants it,_" snarled Macaria, still flared up.

"Oh, gimme a break." Hades rolled his eyes. "What are you, six? Sharing is caring, Charon," he sneered, sarcastic, "Give her what she wants."

"No!" said Charon indignantly. Hades raised an eyebrow.

"You really want two flaming divinities on your case? You're already lookin' pretty iffy with one."

Charon looked furious, but there was no arguing with the Lord of the Dead (and his three year old daughter). "Just _one_," he scowled and threw her a coin, staring at it almost sadly once the goddess had clutched it in her hands.

"Mine!" Macaria screamed happily and ran off with the coin, extinguishing abruptly. Hades rolled his eyes and glared at Charon, sent a fireball his way, then followed after Macaria. Charon ducked quickly, then popped back up, glowering at the king and princess.

"Obvious which parent she takes after," he muttered under his nonexistent breath, beginning to row away, "Spoiled little greedy brat."

* * *

~Author's Notes~ Yeesh, sorry. Long chapter. xD The next chapter'll be long, too, I think... ah, well. More for you guys to read!

Also; there's a new poll on my profile. Kindly head on over there, check it out, and vote, okey dokey? Thankssomuch. :D

EDIT 6/11/10: Hey there, guys! Yeah, I'm sorry the next update is taking so long. Not only is the next chapter going to be rather... extremely long, my computer's been having MAJOR virus issues and I can't go and type it. I've been writing it in my notebook, but it doesn't do me much good if it's not on the computer, mm? Just wanted to let my readers know that I have NOT forgotten about this story. Just... bear with me. Thanks!


	19. Part 19: Chapter XVIII

**_This _Persephone and Macaria are MINE. Anyone who uses them without my permission gets thrown in the Phlegethon River.**

**Everything/everyone else belongs to Disney. Use 'em at your own risk.**

**_Little Miss Flames and Flowers_**

Chapter XVIII- Macaria Goes to Kindergarten and Time Runs Out

A five-year old godling (soft pink in color, which was also unusual, contrasting the black sharply) running through dark halls and darker caverns, swerving between demons as if they were a normal occurrence wasn't a very common sight in the Underworld.

Several souls who had been locked in the Underworld since the day this place had been created ignored her entirely. Newer souls stopped and gawked. And most beings backed away from her, afraid to upset the Underworld's princess — or more importantly, her parents.

Macaria paid them all no attention and darted finally into the palace's back door which had been unlocked for her sake. The elaborate skull-shaped palace, much bigger on the inside then on the outside, was quite familiar to the godling and she thundered upstairs to the floor her bedroom was on, then went up another set of stairs to reach the throne room. She was too young to teleport places yet, having not gained full control of her powers quite yet, and outside of the door, she stopped and caught her breath before managing to squeeze through the partly open iron doors.

"Aha, found you!" Macaria said triumphantly, blonde ponytail bobbing as she moved, and ran over to Hades, "Daddy, I hafta show you something."

He turned at her voice and abandoned his chess pieces to stare down at her, smirking slightly. "I'm watching."

But she had gotten distracted and now was standing with her arms folded, a cross between a pout and a scowl on her face, "You're always doing that." Macaria nodded towards the chessboard huffily. "Why?" Suddenly she cocked her head, standing on her toes to try and see, "Is it fun?"

"Strategizing is key, Maci," Hades answered, reaching back and pulling out the clay figure of his daughter, "If you're gonna take over the universe, you've gotta have a plan. Otherwise your chances are 1 to a million."

"I guess." She shrugged one shoulder and took her piece from his hand. "But you do it every day."

"Practice makes perfect. And, gods, it's gotta be perfect." He nearly shuddered at the thought of putting a half-baked plan into action. Instead of shuddering, though, Hades grinned and took back the Maci figurine she was holding. "Alright, and you wanted to show me—"

Her eyes widened. "Right!" Macaria exclaimed, stepping back — she'd forgotten. "Look, look what I can do! I prac'iced too." She beamed and took another step back, arms outstretched. A beat passed and then a small flame appeared in each palm, as if someone had lit a match and placed in on her hand. The tiny flames grew slowly and then they erupted in a big whoosh, spreading nearly down to her elbows before dying out just as quickly.

"See, look, I'm getting better," said Macaria excitedly, "I bet I can get it up to my shoulders soon and then I'll be able to make fireballs and all the stuff you can do."

Hades' grin grew, both amused and proud at the same time. He understood the fascination with fire and pyrokinetic powers, as it had been something he had gone through once upon a time. Still, she was figuring out things a helluva lot faster then he had. Made sense, in a way; it was hard to flare up in a stomach, an acidic closed area, and he had been there for sixteen years. Hades could remember stepping out into the light for the first time since he had been three and simply erupting in blue and orange flames automatically.

"Very nice," said Hades and Macaria beamed.

"I wanna make fireballs," she suddenly whined, "How long? I'm getting better, right? I'll be able to soon, right?"

He flared his hands and forced the fire into an orb, then tossed it to her. Macaria caught it and raised it to eye level, staring mystified. "Hey, you're getting there," he replied and she beamed again, tossing the fireball aside. It smacked against Persephone's throne and extinguished with a sizzle. Hades, not for the first time, silently thanked the gods that the throne room was fireproof.

"Where's Persephone?" Hades asked her, leaning back against the chessboard and Macaria shrugged, and then looked suddenly sheepish. "Fixing her garden."

"As usual—" Hades started to snidely comment, then stopped. "Wait, fixing?"

Macaria stared at the floor, blushing.

"What'd you do, Maci?" He folded his arms and rolled his eyes, wondering if all five-year-old goddesses were as accident-prone as his was.

"Nothing!" she said immediately, wide-eyed and innocent. Hades' thoughts tracked back to when she had let Cerbie loose as a child and denied it in nearly the same way. He glared down at her, eyebrow crooked, and the godling deflated, pouting.

"I didn't mean to, really," said Macaria desperately, "I set a few flowers on fire accident'ly and it spread."

He resisted the strong urge to smack a hand to his forehead; this was at least the third time she had done this…

"And how much is ruined this time?" he asked her flatly. Macaria stared at the floor.

"Like, half," she mumbled and Hades winced.

"Brilliant, you beat your record," said Hades sarcastically, and poofed to go find Persephone, leaving the five year old goddess behind to sheepishly sulk.

* * *

"And I _told_ her to stop practicing in my gardens, but does she listen, of course not!" Persephone groaned and let her head fall against Hades' chest. "If she keeps doing this, I'm locking her in Tartarus, I swear. She can be the next one to try out Sisyphus' rock."

"Child abuse," he cautioned lightly, hugging her, and Persephone sighed.

"Thank the gods it only takes a short while for me to re-grow everything," Persephone shook her head, bringing a hand to her forehead, "Otherwise I'd be here for days. Look at this. _Look_ at this!" She threw out her arms, a pained look on her face as she turned. "It looks like someone took Cerberus for a walk through here."

"You're fixing it, though," Hades said, trying to put a cheerful spin on the situation. Persephone merely shrugged. "I guess, but, still… not having to fix it at all is better then having it all fixed." She extended her hand, a deep violet rose appearing and blossoming in her palm. "I'm going to have to start locking the gates, huh?"

"Only if you don't wanna keep fixing up your garden," he grinned and she rolled her eyes and concluded, "I'll have to find the key."

"Just wait until she learns to teleport," Hades was smirking now, "Then no place will be safe." Persephone groaned, running her hand through her hair. The rose in her hand fell to the floor and with a twitch of her thumb it had grown into the ground and straightened up beautifully. Persephone crossed past Hades and seated herself on a bench. It was positioned at the base of one of her pomegranate trees. The leaves were silvery grey instead of green; it was the way things grew in the Underworld, all odd colors. Pomegranate flowers were blooming on the tree, scarlet-orange, and then the pomegranates that were budding between leaves were yellow, not ready to pick yet.

"If it makes you feel any better, you've only got a few months until you've gotta take her topside," Hades said, sitting besides her, "And then she can be destructive up there— oh, Seph, I'm sorry..."

Persephone's face had fallen and she was staring dully at her hands, clasped in her lap. The goddess sighed; Hades noticed that every plant in the garden was now wilting.

"My bad, I didn't mean..." His voice trailed off awkwardly.

"It's okay," said Persephone, shrugging one shoulder. She looked up, grimacing. "Hades, I didn't say anything to her yet." The goddess sighed. "What am I going to _say_? 'Maci, we've got to leave our home for six months a year from now on because my mother's a heartless bitch?'"

"Rewording that might work a little better," said Hades dryly.

Persephone sighed again, running a hand through her hair. "Just… how's she gonna react to this? I'm worried, that's all. Maci's lived here her whole life." Her violet eyes rose to Hades' face. "And now she's being taken away, and from her father, too."

"It's not permanent, y'know," Hades softly reminded her.

"I know, I know… still, six months… it's a long time." Persephone bit her lower lip, "I don't suppose Demeter would let me extend our agreement—"

He moved closer to her and put his hand on her shoulder. "Okay, you know full well that you can't do that."

"I know," she muttered, scowling.

"Hey, just… just think positively, okay? I mean, c'mon, it's not for forever. She'll be back, you'll be back, and we'll all live happily ever after, 'kay"?

"She's not going to like it."

"Hey, life ain't fair," said Hades, "We know that best of all. And she's gotta learn it, too."

"I guess so." She blew out a sigh, closing her eyes for a moment. Then she opened them and smirked. "Hm, never thought the day would come where you'd be giving out free advice."

He smirked right back at her. "Hey, who said anything about free? Pay up," said Hades, and kissed her.

* * *

"Hey, mom?" said Macaria, lying on her stomach with her chin in her hands, propped up on elbows. She peered up at her parents, Hades slurping worms and Persephone gathering items in her hands to pack away for the nearing topside trip.

"Yes?" Persephone answered after a moment's pause, setting a pomegranate shaped chiton pin on top of black fabric.

"What's kindergarten?" she asked, mispronouncing the word.

Persephone blinked, and Hades raised an eyebrow behind her. Oh, the randomness. "It's school for little kids," she explained, trying to be simple for her sake.

Macaria wrinkled her nose. "Is it fun school?"

"You don't really do real work…"

"So it's fun," she concluded. Persephone shrugged. "Sure."

"_Well_," said Macaria, hands on her hips, sounding very matter-of-fact for a five year old goddess, "I overheard some of the little souls talking about it. And it sounds fun." Her hands dropped to her sides and she rocked back on her heels, "so can I go?"

Hades and Persephone exchanged glances over her head. Enrolling her in some sort of school was a good idea, and evidently, Maci thought so, too. But so close to the spring equinox? Besides… where could she even go? There was probably some sort of school thing being run in the Underworld (most likely for Nyx's kids) that Macaria could be chucked into. But, again, what with Persephone leaving so soon, and taking Maci with her… she'd be taken out in not even a month. Completely pointless, in which case.

All of this traveled between the couple in that one glance and Persephone walked carefully around an eager-eyed, carefully watching Macaria to speak aside to Hades.

"Maybe there's a kindergarten on Olympus or on Earth for her?" said Persephone in a low voice, "If she really wants to go, well, then…"

Hades snorted. "Oh, _gods_, we're gonna stick her up there with Olympians? That's a great, great plan. Shall we go and stand at the base of the mountain, too, to catch her when they throw her back to us?"

"Well, what else do you suggest?" She raised an eyebrow. "She's right, kindergarten would be fun for her—"

"Silly me, I forgot what good advice five year olds give."

"—and she's got to be around other kids her age." Persephone folded her arms. "No-one around here talks to her and she doesn't have a single friend who's not someone in the weird 'family' we have going on here..."

"Do Pain and Panic count?"

"They're her kickballs, no."

Hades frowned. "Charon?"

"He hates her."

"Cerberus," Hades said. Persephone gave him a look.

"He's a dog…"

"Dogs are man's best friends."

"Okay then, she's a goddess."

Hades rolled his eyes. "Pfft. Details."

"Hades, I'm being serious here."

"So am I."

"No, really, Hades." Persephone elbowed him to try and get his wandering mind back on track. "I think it's good for her, the only problem is where to put her…"

"Can I?" pressed Macaria suddenly. They looked back at her and she rocked back and forth on her heels, hands clasped under her chin.

"Puh-_leeze_?" she whined and Persephone shrugged a shoulder, looking back at Hades.

"We can…try it," she said, speaking slowly to both her husband and her daughter.

"And then pull her out when the equinox hits?"

"Hey, what else can we do?" Persephone shrugged and Hades nodded.

"Does that mean yes?" cried Macaria enthusiastically. "Sure, kiddo," Hades flicked a flaming thumbs-up her way.

"Yessss!" she hissed in triumph, jumping up in the air, and then, in a sharp contrast to the burst of excitement, calmly walked to the door. As Persephone watched her, Hades nudged her hip pointedly.

She understood almost instantaneously. "Oh, no, not now," Persephone whispered.

"When, then?" Hades inquired dryly.

"…not now…"

"Seph, time's ticking, the sand in your mental hourglass is slipping away." He raised an eyebrow.

Persephone sighed. He was absolutely right, and she knew it, and she hated it, but, yup, it had to be done. She started towards the door and then stopped, hand awkwardly extended.

"Maci? Hey, wait, I gotta talk to you."

The godling froze, literally halfway through the iron doors. "…am I in trouble?" she immediately asked, "I didn't do anything this time."

Persephone giggled in spite of herself. "No, not this time." ("Shocker," said Hades dryly.) "We just have to talk, that's all." She came forwards and took her hand. Macaria still had a cautious and wary look on her face as her mother led her out the door, and Persephone sent Hades a last second 'oh, gods' look as they went.

* * *

"So it's like a v'cation? We're going on v'cation?"

Persephone fell into silence, staring at her daughter. She wasn't quite sure whether to smile and hug her or shake her head in disbelief. The godling had taken things lighter then Persephone had thought. She realized that her little mind hadn't really grasped how long six months was, and what was really going on. But could she really correct her perception of things? This was just fine, really. And she had been as specific as she could while still staying in simple outlines.

But she could think of it as a vacation; really, that was quite fine with Persephone. It shielded her from the harsh reality that Macaria's parents were involved in. One day, when she was older and able to understand the story, she would be informed of the details. For now, she could just think of it as a vacation. A long, painful, six month long vacation.

"Mmhm, we're just going to take a little trip." Persephone smiled at her daughter. Macaria was becoming more and more excited, fidgeting on the bed she was seated on.

"Is six months a long time?"

"It'll fly by," said Persephone, not entirely untruthful. The six months she spent with Hades always went much too fast. "And then we'll be home again. Then, six months later, we'll do it again."

"Forever?"

"Yup," Persephone said.

"Wow," Macaria said, wide-eyed.

"We're going to have to leave soon," said Persephone, and Macaria looked even more excited, "Do you need me to help you pack?"

The five year old princess slid off the bed, folding her arms determinedly over her solid black chiton. "I can do it myself. I'm not a _baby_, mom." Macaria scowled and flared up, clearly quite insulted at Persephone's accidental hinting at her being too young to do something on her own.

"Right. Sorry, my bad." Persephone rolled her eyes behind Maci's back as she stormed out of the room.

About twenty seconds later, Macaria poked her head back into the room. "…mom? What am I s'posed to pack?"

Persephone shook her head, amused, and followed her out the door to help.

* * *

"First day?"

"Mmhm."

Hades rolled his eyes. "My, they grow up fast."

"Oh, shut up." Persephone smiled.

"Mm. Let's see how this 'lil adventure works out."

* * *

Mortals were granted a 24 hour access to the gods (should the gods choose to reply to them). Beseeching a god silently alerted them that someone, somewhere, wanted and/or needed them. And they could poof to the beseecher, wherever they were in the world, in no time flat.

Gods and goddesses also used this network to quickly reach each other. About an hour into Macaria's first day of kindergarten, she used this network to contact her parents.

First came a tentative _"Mom?"_ and then it cut short. It wasn't so much as if someone had stopped her, more like she had stopped herself. Sure enough, seconds later came a more confident cry; _"Dad!"_

Persephone slid off her husband's lap and exchanged confused glances with him as he stood up. She gestured to him, and Hades blinked, shrugged at her, then poofed off to find out what the problem was.

The sight that greeted him when he appeared in the vicinities made him stop and stare.

Yes, there _had_ been a kindergarten running in the Underworld. It was shabby, quickly put together, and probably not the best thing to subject your child to, but it was functioning nevertheless (and Macaria was Underworldian-born in the first place). Gyes, one of the Hundred-Handed-Ones, was in charge. He and his brothers, Briareus and Cottus were gods of storm, born to Gaia and Ouranous back in the beginning of time. While Briareus had gone off to live on Earth, removing 49 of the 50 heads that he was born with and planting 98 of his hands around the area where he lived, the other two stayed in the Underworld. Cottus occasionally helped their other brothers, the Cyclopes, while Gyes, who was the soft-spoken and most timid of the three, lingered behind and did what he could while avoiding contact with others. The Hundred-Handed-Ones and the Cyclopes had been imprisoned in Tartarus when they had been born (their father had found them revolting), and Hades had let them go when he had been given the reins of this place. All of them had adapted; all of them except for Gyes, who, by then, had learned to like staying out of the spotlight. Running a kindergarten and playing with little kids, who didn't judge, was a perfect occupation for him.

Gyes was standing against the wall, hands twisting and squirming together. In front of him was a circle formed by the children in the room. They were all kneeling in this circle, all mid-bow, Hades realized, and, as they saw that he was there, they sprung up and dashed away to hide behind Gyes.

In the center of the circle was Macaria (or in the center of what used to be the circle, seeing as the kids forming it had scattered) standing on a black pedestal, her crown sitting lopsidedly on her head. She looked beyond confused, and when she noticed Hades, her face lit up and then darkened again.

"Can I get _off_ now?" she whined, spinning around to glare at Gyes. Reluctantly he nodded (fifty heads bobbing dizzily up and down) and she jumped off and ran to Hades, clinging to his chiton.

"I don't like kindergarten," declared Macaria, casting a reproachful glance to the children behind her. They had all huddled behind Gyes; all of them had been warned about the ruthlessness of the Underworld's royal family, particularly Hades.

Hades looked from his daughter to Gyes. Family ties had no value here; if the Lord of the Dead wanted answers, he'd damn well get them.

"So what, pray tell, is going on here?" Hades demanded.

One hundred eyes blinked at him, all a striking shade of blue against olive skin. One hundred hands twisted together, fidgeting. "Well," said Gyes slowly, "well, I… we were simply paying the Princess her proper tributes."

"Oh, really," said Hades flatly. Macaria looked at him and flared up.

"He wouldn't let anyone talk to me," complained Macaria sulkily, "He made me stand on that stool thing and told everyone to bow." Her scowl deepened. "He wouldn't even let me play with the blocks!" Maci pointed. Hades followed her finger and saw a little stack of wooden Greek alphabet blocks.

"Gyes. Babe," said Hades upon turning back. Macaria stuck her tongue out at the storm god. He, who was focused on Hades, didn't see her. "Y'know, I just gotta say, your standards must be pretty damn low if you're worshipping a little kid."

"I'm not little!" protested Macaria indignantly, then paused. "…daddy, can I play with the blocks now?" Hades rolled his eyes and nodded, and the godling ran over to the toys.

"Look, you may or may not be aware of this, but I'll fill ya in anyway, just so there's no more cases of _extreme stupidity_ in the near future," Hades said dangerously, one eyebrow crooked, "My daughter is not some sideshow for you and your band of midgets to gawk at." He gestured to the kindergartners huddled behind him.

Gyes looked nervous. "Sir, we were simply paying our proper respects—"

"Did I _ask_ you to pay your proper respects?" Hades snapped, and continued without an answer, "Look, we sent her to kindergarten, not to a friggin' temple."

Gyes had fifty mouths and now he put them to use. Fifty stammered apologies burst forth from the god.

"I'm sorry, sir—"

"My apologies, sir—"

"My mistake, sir—"

"It won't happen again, sir—"

"All just a misunderstanding, sir—"

"My sincerest regrets, sir—"

"_Whoa,_ whoa, whoa, whoa!" Hades quickly interjected, flaring just as quickly up and then cooling back down, "Stick a cork in it, 'aight, I got the picture, thanks."

Fifty mouths snapped shut.

"Daddy, look!" cried Macaria, and he turned to see a seven block tall tower (spelling Macaria) that had been lit on fire and was now crumbling to ash. Hades smirked and gave her a thumbs up, and Macaria beamed, scooping the ashes up and blowing them away.

Gyes looked alarmed. "Those aren't yours to burn," he started. A glare from Hades silenced him, and only the annoyed cries of the children behind Gyes remained in the room.

"Let the kid have a little fun," he said dryly, "'Specially seeing as you, ah, _didn't_ for the past hour."

"But—"

"But, save it," snapped Hades, and Gyes shrank back.

"Yes, sir," he said timidly. Macaria looked up from her block-bonfire and smirked.

"Thanks, daddy," she said, satisfied, and stood up, brushing the dust off her black chiton. "Can we go? I'm bored."

"But you'll have to replace those—" tried Gyes again. A quick fireball thrown his way quieted him; Macaria stared jealously at the orb of flame for a moment

"Yeah, whatever, Gyes. Are we done here?" said Hades, sounding rather bored as Macaria came up besides him to scowl at the thunder god. "Look, I'd just love to spend the rest of the afternoon dealing with your idiocy, but I have a life that doesn't involve stalking small children."

* * *

Meg sent an amused glance towards Hercules and snickered to herself. Oh, the irony.

* * *

"Yeah," chimed Macaria, hands on hips. Half of Gyes' eyes traveled to her, and then shot back up to Hades.

"I knew a kindergarten in the Underworld would be a disaster," Hades muttered to himself, and herded his daughter out the door.

"Are all kindergartens like that?" Macaria asked her father as he escorted her out of the building.

"No, that one happened to have been being run by an idiot," he replied.

"Oh," said Macaria, "That's good." She added, thoughtfully after a moment, "I don't like being bowed to."

She skipped ahead of him and Hades watched her, shaking his head as a thought occurred to him.

"Shame you didn't enjoy it," he said aloud, following her, "It's all you'll be getting before these next six months." Macaria didn't hear him.

* * *

"It went by way too quickly," Persephone murmured, leaning heavily on Hades.

"The next six months'll go by just as quickly. Quicker," Hades promised, paused, reconsidered, and admitted, "Okay, I'm lying." Persephone sighed and he added, "Just… try not to think of me, memories, and the last five years we spent together."

"Mommy, can we go?" called Macaria from behind them. She climbed up on top of her suitcase and sat there, swinging her legs. Not understanding exactly what was happening, Macaria was very excited for their 'v'cation.'

"Soon," Persephone replied, and turned back to Hades. "I can't _not_ think of you, that's impossible."

"Well, try your hardest," he said dryly, and smirked. "I know how irresistible I am, but…"

She laughed. "Get over yourself," Persephone scoffed, grinning. Her smile faded as she spoke again, more serious, "I don't know how I'm going to get through this…"

"Hey, you've got her." He gestured to Macaria, still happily swinging her legs on her suitcase.

Persephone smiled a little at this. "Yeah, that's true… still…" She leaned in closer to Hades, not wanting Macaria to hear, "What if… what happens when she realizes what's really happening? It's not going to be all fun and games." She sighed. "I mean, I can try to keep up the charade, but it's not going to last forever. At least not for the next six months."

"Mommy, can we _go_?" Macaria whined.

"One _second_, Macaria!" said Persephone, exasperated. Macaria scowled and Persephone turned back to Hades. "I told my mother not to pick us up. I didn't know how Maci would react to being taken away with me by a stranger to her."

"Sounds reasonable."

"Mhm." Persephone sighed and picked up her own bag. "I guess we should be going, she's getting impatient."

"Yay!" cried Macaria and slid off her suitcase, trying to tug it over to her mother.

Hades stared at his daughter, not sure what exactly he was feeling. He had certainly gotten used to having her around. Five years wasn't that much for a god, but… still…

Charon had pulled up to the bank, and Macaria abandoned her bag to run over to the boat, leaning over the fence that was still there from when she was a baby. "Hi, Charon!" she said brightly, ignoring the ferryman's scowl, "We're going on a v'cation, me an' mommy, are you coming?"

"_No_, Charon's not coming," said Persephone, wrinkling her nose.

"Vacation?" repeated Charon dryly, "You're not going on a vac—"

"_O_kay, that's enough small talk!" interrupted Hades quickly, and Persephone shot Charon a glare. He rolled his nonexistent eyes somehow and swished his pole around in the water.

"Well, are you coming?" he said flatly. Persephone picked up Maci's bag and turned to Hades, "Give us a second, Charon."

She sighed, staring at the floor as she tried to think of words to say. "So this is goodbye," Persephone finally said, sadly, "I guess I'll see you in six months."

"We'll see if we can work out visits or something," Hades concluded, "For Maci's sake or somethin'."

The godling was on her knees, drawing patterns in the Stygian mud, and she looked up as she heard her name.

"I'll miss you," Persephone said.

"Miss you, too," replied Hades, and they hugged, and then kissed, soon interrupted by their daughter:

"EW, STOP IT!" cried Macaria and they jumped apart, staring at the little goddess who was glaring back up at them. "That's gross," she scowled and stood up, folding her arms, "Don't _do_ that."

"So sorry," Hades snickered.

"Pfft," said Macaria huffily and stuck her tongue out at her parents. Persephone stifled a giggle and hugged Hades one last time, then joined Charon in the boat.

Macaria and Hades looked at each other for a moment.

He wasn't much for touchy-feely (except when concerning Persephone) and neither was the little pink Princess standing in front of her. He had to admit he was somewhat relieved when she simply chirped, "Bye, dad!", waved, and climbed over the gate to scurry off to the boat with her mother. He gave her a two fingered salute back.

"Seeya, kiddo," said Hades and leaned against a pillar as Charon began to row away. He could hear Macaria talk even as they got farther and farther away from him.

"What's Earth like, mommy? Where are we gonna stay when we get up there? Ooh, are there gonna be mortals running around? Dad said they live up on Earth, an' are they slimy like the ones down here? There's a lot of them right? Ooh, ooh! Are there ones that know me? Do the mortals there know me? Am I famous, mom, am I?" Her voice got softer and softer as they traveled farther and farther away, until Maci's quick questions and Persephone's rushed answers were inaudible.

Hades stood by himself in the silence for a moment, Pain and Panic suddenly next to him.

"Okay, it's already way too quiet," Hades grumbled. _The screaming of Pain and Panic would certainly improve the silence, _Hades thought suddenly, and got busy fulfilling this.

* * *

They docked at the other side of the river, and Persephone helped her daughter climb out of the boat. Macaria looked around herself curiously.

"I've never been in this part of the Underworld before," said Macaria, staring at the lines of souls who were standing at the banks. Charon herded them into the boat they had just left, collected golden drachmas, and rowed away. Macaria stepped closer to her mother and looked up. "Is this where we're staying?" she wondered aloud. Persephone giggled.

"No, we've gotta walk a little bit now," said Persephone. On normal occasions, she could have just snapped her fingers and appeared up on Earth, but she wanted Macaria to learn her way around this area of the Underworld. She had never been allowed to cross the river, not on her own.

"Oh," said Macaria, and took her mother's hand to follow her through the dark cavern leading up to Earth.

* * *

~Author's Notes~ Okay. This didn't work out as planned.

First of all, I knew this chapter was going to be long, but after I wrote about half of it... I realized it was just... TOO long. The better thing to do, I decided, was split the one chapter into two instead of cramming it all into one big thing. It does work out better, it's neater, and hey, you guys get an update...

...however, I had something important planned for the next chapter that'll have to be pushed back. So the important plot will start on Part 21 instead of Part 20. Oh well. At least the next chapter'll be coming soon, I promise - it's already half written. Stay tuned, guys!

Also, please visit my profile and vote on my poll! The poll will be taken down come the end of July. :)

Remember to review!

UPDATE 7/10/10: Hey, sorry for the delay in updating; I know I said the next chapter'd be up soon, but I've been having some RL issues. The story will be updated as soon as I can possibly get it up; thank you.


	20. Part 20: Chapter XIX

**_This _Persephone and Macaria are MINE. Anyone who uses them without my permission gets thrown in the Phlegethon River.**

**Everything/everyone else belongs to Disney. Use 'em at your own risk.**

**_Little Miss Flames and Flowers_**

Chapter XIX- Olympus Meets Macaria, And Macaria Is Told A Story

Persephone held her suitcase and Macaria's with her, shifting the weight between hands as Macaria prattled on about… everything. The godling definitely had her father's mouth.

"Is Earth real different from the Underworld?" asked Macaria, tilting her head, "Does it look different?"

"Very different," said Persephone.

"And there are mortals, right? Daddy said there are mortals."

"Oh, yes. They're everywhere. That's where they live, you know, up on Earth."

"Yeah, daddy said that," said Macaria, nodding, "But some live down here, too."

"Only the dead ones."

She blinked. "They're _alive_ up there?"

Persephone nodded, smiling, and Macaria gaped. "Do they… do they look the same? Do they talk the same? Do they live in rivers like they do here?"

"I guess you'll find out, won't you," Persephone smiled at her.

"But I wanna know _now_," said Macaria, "What're they like?"

"They're all different."

"Down here, they're all the same." Macaria shrugged one shoulder. "'Cept some are big and some are small and they have different hair and faces and stuff. But they act the same. And they try to grab me when I walk near the rivers, and in Asphodel. The ones in 'Lysium are nice, though."

"Elysium, Macaria, there's an 'e,'" corrected Persephone.

"Well, they're nice." Macaria walked a little faster, ahead of Persephone, trailing the elder goddess by the hand. "Are we gonna stay up on that mountain place?"

"That mountain place?" Persephone repeated, "Olympus?" Macaria nodded and Persephone giggled despite herself. "Yeah, we're gonna go there for a little bit."

"Really?" She grinned, and then frowned again. "Daddy says it's boring."

"Well, daddy has major issues with that place," Persephone told her daughter dryly.

"Yeah, but he's got issues with everything," said Macaria.

Persephone rolled her eyes. "Alright, that's not true. He's only got issues with most things."

"Right." Macaria looked up and met her mother's gaze, who was now standing over her.

"C'mon, we've gotta get topside." Persephone took her hand and pulled her ahead. If Macaria kept getting distracted, they'd never get anywhere.

* * *

It was nighttime when they finally set foot on Earth (Nyx, hovering in the sky, waved at them), and Persephone set their bags down as Macaria looked all around her.

"It's dark here," Macaria observed, "Like back home." She wandered off a little, twirling in circles to try and see everything. They had popped up from the Underworld in Taenarum, an area holding one of the "public" entrances/exits to/from the Underworld, located in southern Greece.

She stopped and looked down at the grass that she was standing on, then backed up hurriedly to her mother. "It's a weird color," said Macaria, wide-eyed, "It's like 'Lysium grass."

"_E_lysium. And yeah, the grass up here is green." Down in the Underworld, with its backwards color scheme, grass grew silver and gray in all areas excluding Elysium.

"But it's the same grass?"

"It's the same, just a different color."

"Whoa." Macaria knelt down and studied the grass for a moment, then stood back up. She walked forwards, and then retreated back.

"What's that?" She pointed, and Persephone looked.

"Temple," said Persephone, studying the temple of Aphrodite in the distance, adorned with glowing pink candles, flowers, doves, and hearts. "See, mortals go there to worship the gods."

"Do we have those in the Underworld?"

"We've only got souls in the Underworld, there's no use for them down there."

Macaria squinted and pointed again. "What're those?"

Persephone smiled a little. "Those moving things by the temple? Mortals, Maci."

Macaria whirled around and faced her mother, stunned. "They're not floating! And they're not see-through!"

"They're not _dead_."

"Real mortals don't _float_? I thought they all did…" Macaria looked as if her childhood had just been crushed into tiny pieces.

"Only the dead ones, Maci."

"Then how do they move?" She stood on her tiptoes to try and see into the temple. "And why can't you see through them?"

"They move by walking, running, using chariots… live mortals have feet," Persephone explained patiently, sitting down on her suitcase. Demeter would be here soon to take them to her cottage; until then, Macaria could look at the surroundings all she wanted. "And they're solid, Maci, not shades. Shades are different from mortals that are alive."

"But it's so weird!"

"And all of those mortals up here would be saying the same thing about the ones down where we live," Persephone pointed out.

Macaria wrinkled her nose. "But they're the weird ones."

"They don't think so."

Only half-satisfied with this, Macaria's mind wandered to a different subject nevertheless. She went back to Persephone and sat by the suitcase, pulling her knees up to her chest. "Are we staying here?" Macaria asked, "Here in the grass, with sleeping bags? All night?"

Persephone laughed, reaching out to touch a hand to her shoulder. "We're waiting for my mother to come."

Macaria gaped at her. "_You_ have a mom?"

Persephone raised an eyebrow. "Uh, duh. How do you think I got here?" She gestured around herself to signify 'here.'

Macaria looked confused. "You… I dunno." She cocked her head. "Is she daddy's mom, too?"

"No, she's Hades' sister."

Maci blinked. "She is? And is she your sister, too?"

"No, she's my mom."

"But you said…"

"She's Hades' sister. Hades has his own mom."

"Who's your sister?"

"I don't have one."

"Then why does daddy get one?"

"Because his parents have more children than mine do."

"Are we gonna meet daddy's mom, too?"

"You might meet her someday."

"But not today?" Macaria flopped onto her stomach, chin in hands.

"No, not today."

"What about your dad?"

Persephone hesitated. "I don't have one."

"You don't?"

She had never known her father. Demeter had never disclosed who he was, where he had gone, how they had met. _Maybe a steady guy for her would've eased up the obsessive craziness_, mused Persephone to herself, and then she shrugged. "Nope, I don't."

"But I have one," said Macaria proudly.

Persephone was smiling. "That's right, and don't you ever forget that." Persephone thought back to Hades expressing to her his slight fear that Macaria would forget him during the Pomegranate Agreement months… the godling was too attached to him, really, to ever forget.

"I won't," promised Macaria sincerely, and at that moment there was a flash of green light as Demeter appeared.

Persephone merely looked up but Macaria yelped, startled, and jumped away, then dove behind her mother to hide from the stranger. Demeter cocked her head, blinked, and peered behind Persephone.

Macaria stared and Demeter stared back for a moment before straightening up.

"Oh, thank Zeus," was the first thing Demeter said, to Persephone, "She looks like you." Macaria wrinkled her nose behind her mother.

"No-one except you would've been complaining if she had come out looking like her father," said Persephone stiffly (this was a sad lie and both of them knew it) and stood up. Macaria clung to her chiton from behind, peeking out with wide eyes at her grandmother. Persephone looked down at her.

"Maci, c'mon, you don't need to hide… this is my mother." Persephone tried to detach Macaria from her leg.

"No," she said flatly, her voice a hissed whisper. Persephone raised an eyebrow.

"Macaria, you've never _once_ been shy in your life." Persephone took her by the ponytail and dragged her out; Macaria squealed and squirmed away, then backed against the front of Persephone.

"I suppose you wouldn't have to be, being surrounded by lowly Underworldians for five years," sniffed Demeter, and managed to kneel down to her granddaughter's level. "Macaria, don't be afraid of me, I'm your grandmother," she said brightly, "You should welcome the company of an Olympian."

"Daddy doesn't like 'Lympians," was her only response.

Demeter's smile suddenly became slightly forced. "Well, we don't have to think of a word daddy says here."

Macaria scowled at her, not liking anyone to correct anything said by Hades. Persephone quickly knelt next to her and whispered in a pink, pointed ear, "You don't listen to a thing _she_ says, okay?" Macaria glanced at Persephone uneasily and nodded, grateful.

"I heard that, Sephy," said Demeter, straightening back up. Persephone rolled her eyes and stood as well, scooping Maci into her arms.

"Mom, you said we weren't allowed to call you Sephy," whispered Macaria, alarmed. Since day one, it had been drummed into her head that she could call her mother anything she wanted. Except that.

"My mother doesn't understand that," Persephone whispered back and Maci giggled.

"Are we planning on staying here all night?" said Demeter loudly, well aware of the hushed conversation between the two. She put her hands on her hips, "We must get going… she's got a busy day tomorrow." The goddess of plant life pointed to Macaria, who blinked. "We've got to take her to Olympus, Zeus and the others would like to see her…"

"She's got to get to bed, anyway," Persephone agreed, shrugging one shoulder. Macaria looked quite indignant.

"I'm not tired!" protested Macaria.

Demeter rolled her eyes. "I'll call Morpheus if we have to," she said. Persephone had learned from Nyx that her son and the original god of sleep, Morpheus, were sharing a job; Hypnos handled everything below Earth, and Morpheus was in charge of the top part.

"We won't need to, hopefully." Persephone looked pointedly at her daughter. Maci sighed.

"Are we going?" said Macaria quickly, changing the subject.

"Yes, we are," said Demeter, already turning to leave. Persephone nodded in agreement and set Macaria onto the floor and picked up her suitcases. Macaria rocked on her heels, hands behind her back and said, "Where?"

"My spring and summer home," said Persephone, and the three went off.

* * *

The cottage on Earth where Persephone and Demeter lived during spring and summer was closed off to the Grecian public. The fencing provided them with a generous amount of field, gardens, woods, and streams while still allowing the area to be private. Demeter had insisted on teleporting to the very edge of the property and walking to the cottage, instead of simply teleporting at the door, to let Maci enjoy the view; however, the godling couldn't see a thing in the dark and was exhausted by the time the cottage had been reached. Balancing a half-asleep Macaria in one arm, Persephone unlocked the door herself and went inside, Demeter following close behind.

"Are we there yet?" Macaria mumbled, picking her head lazily up to look around. Persephone struck a match and lit a few candles to bring some light into the room.

"Yeah," said Persephone, "Welcome to our home for the next six months." She gestured with one arm around her.

Macaria blinked sleepily, look around slowly, and let her head fall back against her mother's shoulder.

"It's so small," she said, disgust in the Princesses' voice, and promptly fell asleep.

* * *

The little goddess awoke in a room that was not hers, in a bed that was not hers, tangled in blankets that were not hers.

Wide-eyed, Macaria squirmed out of the bed— discarding pink and green flowered sheets— and slid onto the floor. Her feet hit something bumpy (woven straw, but she had never experienced this and had no idea what it was) and she hurriedly backed up back onto the bed. She squinted and looked around more carefully.

This was not home. Home wouldn't be so bright and cheerful and flowery, sunlight peeking between pink curtains, birds chirping out the windows. Not unless she was in Elysium, and she had explored the place thoroughly already: even her little mind remembered that the only houses in Elysium were castles.

But despite waking up in a foreign area, Macaria was eager to explore. Sliding off the bed again, Macaria grabbed her hi-dah (tucked next to her, as usual) and wandered around the room. Peeking in drawers, Macaria found _her_ things packed there; opening the closet, Macaria found her own black chitons and dresses hanging.

She scurried back to her bed and flopped onto the mattress, then promptly popped up and stared at the flower on the dresser.

Macaria stared, and then she reached for it. Its stem in her hands, she lifted it to eye level and gaped. The petals of the flower were a bright purple-pink.

She had never seen anything like this, only the pretty black and maroon and midnight blue flowers that grew in mommy's garden, and the eerily pale flowers that grew in Elysium. Suddenly, Macaria remembered; she was up on Earth with mommy, and mommy's mommy, on a big vacation in mommy's other house.

"Mom?" Macaria called out, and Persephone teleported into the room, right on cue. Macaria's eyes widened. For the first time in her life, she saw her mother dressed in something other than black: a loosely folded pastel blue chiton, a pink tulip pinning it together at the shoulder.

"Hey there," Persephone greeted, smiling, "I was wondering when to wake you up… you slept right into the afternoon."

"I did?" Macaria blinked, still staring at the color change, and then shrugged. "That's 'cuz I was tired."

"Yeah, you were up late last night." Persephone sat herself on the edge of the bed and pulled Maci onto her lap. Macaria squirmed for a second and then sat still.

"It's not dark anymore," said Macaria. She turned in her mother's lap and glanced at the window across the room; the curtains were still drawn but the sun was still creeping between them.

"It's only dark at night on Earth," explained Persephone, setting Macaria on the bed and standing up. She went to the window and opened the curtains. Macaria flinched as she was bathed in golden light, and slowly she uncurled herself as her eyes became more used to it. "It's so bright," she whined, "Can't you turn it off?"

Persephone laughed, wondering in the back of her mind what Apollo would say to such a request. "I'll give you a pair of sunglasses later," she replied and Macaria looked confused.

"What's that?"

"Never mind." Persephone rolled her eyes, tapping a few fingers on the window sill. "C'mon, we have to go. You have a busy day."

"Really?" Macaria bounced up from the bed. "What am I doing?"

"I'm taking you up to Olympus… you're going to get the full tour." Persephone reached out and took her hand. _This is going to be interesting,_ the goddess thought, standing up with her daughter, _Very, very interesting…_

"There you are," huffed Demeter, glaring at her daughter and granddaughter as they finally emerged from the bedroom. Macaria had changed into her regular black chiton, her blond hair up in its usual ponytail. Her arms folded in front of her chest, the goddess continued, "Zeus is waiting for us, you know. It's incredibly rude to keep him waiting."

"Well, we're here now," said Persephone cheerfully, masking a scowl behind a smile for her daughter's sake. Demeter gave Persephone a look and shook her head in exasperation. It wasn't worth saying anything…

Demeter pushed past Persephone and peered down at Macaria, not noticing, or perhaps ignoring, the miniature frown forming on the godling's lips. "I'll bet you're excited to go all the way up to Olympus, is that right?" said Demeter happily. Macaria's expression didn't change at all.

"Sure," she said flatly. Demeter's smile faltered.

As the elder goddess gave up on conversing with her and turned her attention to scolding Persephone for letting Maci sleep so late, Macaria wandered away from her mother and grandmother and stood on her toes to see out of the window. In the sunlight, she could see the hills and flowers and wildlife that stretched across the private field the cottage was built on. As she looked, a dryad melted out of an apple tree and waved at her.

"Macaria?" The Princess turned around as her mother called her name. Demeter was scowling , apparently having lost the verbal battle. "Come on. We really do have to leave." Macaria stepped forwards and took her hand.

"Is it far away?" Macaria couldn't help but ask, not wanting to suffer through a long chariot ride, especially not with her 'new' grandma. There was something about her she didn't like, Macaria had decided; the woman was just unpleasant and Maci could sense it. She looked at Persephone and noticed her mom's eyes had traveled upwards.

"No, it'll only take a second to get there," replied Persephone, still looking at the ceiling. Macaria looked too, trying to see what she saw. When Persephone lifted a hand and pointed, Macaria got it. "Oh, we have to go _up_ to get there," said the little goddess, interrupting Persephone's explanation-in-the-works, "Just like to go home we go down."

"Exactly," said Persephone, squeezing her hand. "Now, c'mon. Getting Zeus angry is a very bad thing." She paused. "You'll learn that soon enough, I guess."

"Okay," said Macaria as Demeter raised a green hand to teleport the three of them. Macaria squinted from the green light that was eating them up and told her mother earnestly, "You know, someone should make a big set of stairs, it'd make things a lot easier."

* * *

Demeter strode off through the golden gates, pre-opened for the trio, as soon as they had appeared on Olympus. Persephone lingered back for a moment with a visibly awed Macaria.

"What's wrong?" said Persephone, a small frown on her face at the goddess' expression.

"It's… a lot bigger than I thought it'd be," she reluctantly admitted, staring wide-eyed at Olympus. Persephone supposed that when Hades had described it to her, he had been rather vague; he had to have been, you couldn't describe Olympus accurately without "big."

"Are you nervous?" Persephone questioned further and Macaria whirled around to look at her sharply.

"_NO_," snapped Macaria, hands on black chiton'ed hips. Suddenly indignant, Macaria stepped forwards, facing the gates with a somewhat… stuck up expression, nose in the air. "I'm ready. I want to go in."

Persephone resisted the urge to roll her eyes, smiling, and led her by the hand through the gates.

The snobbish look on Maci's face dropped as they walked to the crowd standing far past the gates, and they soon ended up in the middle of them all as people pushed and jostled, trying to see. Persephone, holding tightly to Maci's hand and shooting her best death glare at the Olympians, glanced down and noticed her daughter's eyes were as big as dinner plates.

* * *

Not even five years of living in the highly unpredictable Underworld could have prepared her for being thrust into a crowd of brightly colored, brightly dressed, glowing people, who were all staring at her with their mouths open. The chatter of the crowd stopped and then they really _were_ standing in the middle of them on display, as almost subconsciously, the Olympians rearranged themselves in a circle around the two. She could _feel_ eyes on her and she straightened up as tall as she could for the people, ignoring the strong feeling to duck and hide behind her mother. Instead, Macaria set her mouth in a thin scowl and glared back at everyone who was examining her.

"_This_ is Hades' daughter," said a very loud voice in disbelief and then came a tall god with white hair, bright blue eyes, and a purple chiton. Macaria felt her mother tense and when she looked up, Persephone's own scowl had deepened.

"This is all very rude, gaping at my daughter like she was some kind of freak," snapped Persephone to him and Macaria looked back at the god, who the others were acknowledging with respectful nods.

He ignored her. "Persephone, I don't believe that… she doesn't even look like him, are you sure she belongs to—"

"_Yes,_ Zeus," said Persephone firmly and Macaria immediately tacked the face to a name she had heard discussed in bitter tones since she was a baby.

"You're positive?" said Zeus, still skeptical. Another goddess, also tall, but magenta in skin color, strawberry blonde hair pinned up over her head and flowing down over her shoulders, emerged and stood next to him.

"Persephone, she looks _nothing_ like her," she said, sounding happier than Zeus, and Persephone sighed.

"The similarities in appearance are subtle, Hera," she sighed again. Macaria again pinned a face to another name in her head. "But I assure you—" suddenly Persephone's voice was nasty " —she definitely belongs to Hades." Macaria frowned. What was she talking about? Of course she belonged to him. Persephone was scowling and she continued huffily, "And you're all obnoxious for thinking otherwise. Unlike _some of you_," she looked right at Zeus, who scowled. Macaria didn't get the meaning of this. "I happen to be faithful to my husband. Now if you'll just let us through." She started forwards, as if to walk away, but the crowd didn't budge. She sighed yet again and stopped short, giving Macaria's hand a little squeeze.

Macaria didn't get it. She didn't get why everyone was so happy that she didn't look like daddy. She didn't get why no-one believed mommy when she said that she 'belonged' to Hades. And she didn't get why everyone was gawking at her like she was some kind of exhibit in a zoo.

Zeus had folded his arms over his chest. "And you're_ positive_ she's his child," he said, a slight frown pulling at his lips. The crowd has begun to murmur, the same objections that Zeus was voicing now. Macaria was beginning to scowl, disliking all these doubts… of _course_ she belonged to daddy; she wouldn't be able to flare up if she didn't…

"Positive," Persephone said dryly.

Zeus and the Olympians silenced. They exchanged glances amongst themselves. Then Zeus exclaimed loudly, happily, "But this is great! It's wonderful!" He peered down at Macaria, grinning stupidly. "You can bring her here. No-one will know, no-one can tell! She'll look just like one of us!"

Persephone opened her mouth, and then closed it after a moment. "…you're going to pass the Princess of the Underworld off as an Olympian," she recapped in disbelief.

Macaria didn't know what that meant but from the sound of her mother it wasn't a good thing. Were they going to keep her away from home? Take away her position?

"She'll fit in perfectly," Hera added excitedly, "If we get rid of the black, then she'll be one of us." Noticing Persephone's expression of outrage, she quickly added, "Sweetie, we're trying to help. Do you want her to grow up looked down upon?"

"But I don't want to live here," blurted Macaria, and put her hands on her hips. Every pair of eyes swiveled to her.

Zeus and Hera exchanged glances. Very uneasy ones.

"I like the Underworld. I like being with daddy," she said firmly. Someone snorted a laugh in the back of the crowd.

"The poor child doesn't know what she's saying," someone scoffed. Persephone recognized her mother's voice and held in a sigh.

And Macaria recognized it, too. Very rapidly, she had whirled on her heels to face Demeter and practically screamed at her, "I do _too_ know what I'm saying!" The little goddess exploded in a burst of orange flame, now yellow eyes blazing as hotly as her hair. The entire crowd gasped and jumped back, widening the circle considerably.

Persephone was suddenly very grateful that cloud was fireproof.

The smile on Zeus and Hera's face had dropped and Macaria slowly extinguished.

"Never mind," muttered Zeus, Hera scowling. The crowd, just like that, dispersed.

Macaria looked up at her mother, beaming. "I got rid of them, mom!" she exclaimed. Persephone couldn't help but break out in a smile.

"And _that_ is why daddy hates Olympians," she concluded, kneeling to her level and giving her a hug, "Don't listen to any of them. They don't like your father, either."

She was frowning. "Why not?"

Persephone hesitated, considered whether to tell her that her father had been trying to overthrow Olympus for years, considered whether to tell her that her father was treated like the equivalent of a stray and diseased dog, and decided against it. "It's a long story," she said carefully. Maci shrugged.

"So they don't like me, either? Or you," asked Macaria, gazing around her as she spoke. She was visibly impressed, Persephone could tell, despite her growing dislike of the Olympians.

"I guess not," said Persephone, then quickly added, "But don't be upset or anything. They don't matter. And everyone likes you in the Underworld."

"I know," said Macaria absently, and then smiled. "I don't care. I don't care if every single person in the world hates me." She sounded honest.

"Well… that's good," said Persephone, standing back upright. Macaria was still looking around, and Persephone quickly took her hand again.

"Now, would you like a full tour?" Persephone smiled, and Macaria nodded eagerly. She didn't like the people of Olympus very much — but that didn't stop her from liking the cloudy realm anyway.

* * *

The sun was beginning to set when Demeter, Persephone, and Macaria returned to the modest cottage on Earth. Persephone had seated herself cross-legged on the floor, absently reading this year's list of nymphs (her to-be employees for the spring and summer season). Demeter was seated on the sofa, also reading a scroll.

Macaria was by the window.

Persephone glanced up from her scroll for the fourth time in the past 20 minutes to look nervously at her daughter, who was still pressed against the window.

She wasn't worried that anything would happen to her, no, of course not. It was just that Macaria hadn't said two words since they left Olympus, and then when they had gotten to Demeter's, she hadn't left the window. She was standing on her toes to see out of it. The little goddesses' eyes were focused on the roads ahead of her. Her nose was pressed against the glass, and her hands were flat on the smooth, transparent surface as well.

Persephone sighed, cast a glance down at her scroll, then looked back up to Maci.

Demeter finally looked up from her reading as well. "Macaria, come away from the window," Demeter ordered lightly, and hesitantly, Maci turned.

"Mother," said Persephone sternly, and, ignoring the eyeroll Demeter gave her, added to Macaria, "Maci, you can stay there, it's okay."

Macaria turned back to the window.

Persephone glared at her mother, who glared back, and then resumed reading.

After another few silent moments, Macaria tore herself away from the window again and went over to Persephone.

"Mommy," she said in a tiny voice, "When's daddy coming?"

Ah, yes. The inevitable. Persephone knew this would be coming, and she had been dreading it...

She bit her lower lip, and sighed, setting the scroll down and feeling Demeter's hard gaze on her.

"Well," said Persephone, struggling to keep her voice even, "He's not."

Macaria was silent, considering that. "Mommy, when can we go home?" Macaria piped up then, her violet eyes wide.

Demeter's eyes were still on the pair, and with some effort, Seph resisted the growing urge to snap at her. In a patient voice, Persephone told Macaria gently, "Not for a little while, Maci."

Macaria looked absolutely crestfallen. Even Demeter was feeling a little guilty, she could tell.

"Why not?" she asked, then added another question, "How long?"

"Six months, remember?" replied Seph, "And it's...it's a long story. I told you, it's a very long story. I'll explain it to you when you get older."

"Your mommy's got to make the flowers grow," said Demeter without looking up. Macaria nodded, accepting this answer.

"But why isn't daddy coming?" she demanded after a pause, "He can help with the flowers, right, mommy?" Another pause. "Right?" she pressed.

"I…" Persephone looked uneasy.

"Why can't I just go home?" Macaria had folded her arms. "Just me. I can stay with daddy and you can do the flowers."

Persephone frowned and stood up. "Look," she started to explain awkwardly, "A long time ago, mommy and daddy made a deal that I would stay up here for six months every year. To make the flowers grow," she continued, glancing at Demeter, "and you're older, but you're still little, and you have to come with me until you're big enough to stay by yourself in the Underworld."

"I won't _be _by myself. I'll be with daddy. I won't be all alone."

"I'm sorry," sighed Persephone, beginning to feel unhappy, "I… it'll just be for a few more years. It'll be okay, I promise."

"But I don't like it here anymore." She glanced at the window again.

Persephone gave her a sad little smile, and slowly came over to her. She hugged Macaria, and she couldn't help but think how unfair this was, how unfair all of this was… how unfair it was to punish a little girl simply because her parents weren't supposed to be together.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered, and Macaria hugged her tightly back.

* * *

The night passed, the morning passed, the next day, filled with tours of the fields and tours of Persephone's extravagant garden, passed as well, and before long, it was the evening of the second full day on Earth. A protesting Macaria had been put to bed earlier and Persephone was in the middle of an argument with her mother.

"Mom, she's unhappy here without Hades," Persephone scowled, saying the same things she had been saying since Macaria had been tucked in, "I know I can't bring her back, I know I can't _go_ back, the least I can do is let her visit him. Or let him visit her. Something."

"I think she'll manage just fine after she gets used to it," sniffed Demeter, also repeating herself.

"They need to see each other."

"I'm sure she'll be able to manage, Persephone. I'm not letting _him_ anywhere near here, and I'm not letting you send your own baby girl down into the depths of the Underworld."

Persephone snorted. "Mom, she grew _up_ there."

"She's only 5 years old; we can't just send her—"

"Mommy?"

Persephone and Demeter froze and turned to see Macaria standing in the door frame, black nightgown trailing to her ankles, blond hair loose. On her face was a surprisingly Hades-like scowl. Persephone nearly laughed out loud, but she knew her daughter wouldn't have tolerated it. You didn't mess with a pissy five year old.

"Maci," said Persephone patiently, "Go to bed." Macaria's scowl deepened.

"I don't want to. I'm not tired," she declared, hands on her hips. Again, Persephone found the resemblance between her and her husband quite striking. "Can I stay up?" Macaria inquired politely and then plopped down on the floor, expecting to be a participating part of a conversation for the rest of the night.

"No," Persephone said, "It's bedtime."

"You're not asleep," Macaria glared at her mother.

"Bedtime for you."

"But I'm not tired."

"Too bad," Persephone gave her a sympathetic-like smile, "It happens to be bedtime, so you have to go to bed." She pointed to the door, ignoring Demeter's glare from behind her. "Good night."

She sprung to her feet, small fists clenched at her sides. "But I don't wanna sleep!" Maci whined, stomping her foot on the floor. She was dangerously close to flaring up.

Persephone crossed over to her and gently but firmly tried to push her back to her room. Macaria only drew back, calming down.

"Tell me a story?" she asked sweetly, and smiled.

Persephone crooked an eyebrow. "Once upon a time, there was a little girl who went to bed," Persephone began, rolling her eyes, "She lived happily ever after. The end." Again, she pointed to the door.

Macaria stared at her darkly. "A _real_ story, mommy." Persephone sighed to herself; a short bedtime story couldn't hurt, she supposed.

"Alright, fine, let's go," Persephone grumbled, relenting, "Only a quick one and then you _have_ to go to bed."

"Yay!" cried Macaria, and ran down the hallway back to her room. Persephone simply snapped her fingers.

Macaria flopped eagerly on her bed and then wiggled under the covers, hugging Hi-Dah to her chest. "What story, mommy?" she said excitedly, "Tell a good one." The smile suddenly dropped and she said seriously, "No mushy gushy stuff. No princesses, no princes, and nothing pink and fluffy."

"Nothing about Olympus then?" Persephone said, smiling.

Macaria looked disgusted. "_No._"

Persephone thought for a moment. "What about… The Odyssey? I'll give you the condensed version." Macaria shrugged, deciding to give it a shot. Persephone started, shrugging a shoulder, "Once upon a time, there was a man named Odysseus—"

"I don't like this story," Macaria interjected, "It's boring."

"It only just started."

"I still don't like it. Tell me a different one." Macaria was staring at her stubbornly, arms locked around the plush hydra she slept with.

Persephone sighed and ran through options in her head, finally coming to rest on one she knew completely and totally by heart. She glanced at Macaria, then brought her hands up to her neck to fiddle with the diamond skull hanging from a chain. She had promised to tell her all about it when Maci was older. But maybe she was ready now. She certainly was smart enough.

"Once upon a time," Persephone started slowly, "many years ago, a goddess sat in her room, arguing with her mother."

"Who?" said Macaria, suddenly interested. She leaned forward.

"Her name was Persephone," said Persephone, and told her everything.

* * *

"No wonder she knew it so well," mused Hercules, "when she told us."

"She's known it quite well since she was little," said Persephone, "I've told it to her dozens of times."

"Must be cool to have a bedtime story for your life," remarked Meg. Persephone shrugged, but she continued with a smile on her face.

* * *

"…the end," finished Persephone, almost two hours later. Somehow Macaria was still awake, and Persephone stifled a groan. So much for an early bedtime, so much for a quick story. But Macaria had enjoyed every second of the abridged story, staying transfixed and asking questions all through the end. Now she asked another one.

"Mommy," said Macaria suddenly, "Did they live happily ever after?"

"Hm?" Persephone straightened up, setting the ratty hydra that had ended up in her lap by Macaria. She took it and squeezed it, choking the thing by holding onto one of its necks in a clinging grip.

"Did they live happily ever after? Hades and 'Sephone. Did they?" Macaria hugged her hydra to her chest. "You never said."

Persephone smiled, reaching over and running a few fingers through her daughter's hair. Maci's pick face was wide-eyed and eager, waiting for an answer.

"Yes, they lived happily ever after," said Persephone, "And then a few years later, they got a little baby girl named Macaria."

"Like me," realized Macaria, happy.

"Exactly like you," Persephone smiled again and stood up from the bed, walking to the door. "Good night, Maci."

"Except I'm not little," Macaria added, "Right?"

"Right," Persephone agreed. "You're a big girl now." _Big enough to be separated from Hades for six months,_ Persephone thought cynically.

As if she was reading her mother's mind, Macaria suddenly piped up, "Tell daddy I said good night, okay?"

"I'll give him the message," said Persephone. She turned to face her, still smiling, but this time sadly. _Well… not for six months I won't._ She turned back around, blowing out a candle glowing on the dresser. She started back towards the door, "Good night."

"'Night," said Macaria, and then waited until Persephone was just outside the door and in the hallway to call, "Wait, mom?"

Persephone turned back. "Yeah?"

Macaria sat up in bed. "Was it real?" she asked, wide-eyed again.

Persephone paused, understanding almost immediately, and she crossed back over and knelt by the side of her bed. "True story," she confirmed, a little smirk on her lips. Macaria's mouth formed into a little 'o' and she burst out from under the covers like a butterfly emerging from a cocoon. She bounced on her knees and squealed, a thousand words shooting out of her mouth.

"Really? _Really_? I knew it! That's how you and daddy met and got married an'… an'… an'… is Menthe still in your garden? Can I see her when I get home?" Receiving Persephone's amused, confirming nod, she continued with an understanding gasp, "And that's why we're here! 'Cause of the… the… the Pom'granate… thing?"

"Pomegranate Agreement," corrected Persephone softly, "And yeah, that's why we're here." She sighed. "Don't worry, it'll be over soon enough and then we'll both be home."

"I won't worry," Macaria promised, "I get it now." She paused. "An' how long is six months?"

"It's a long time," Persephone repeated for at least the second time, "But it'll fly by, and we'll be back home in no time. I promise."

"Okay." Macaria turned and crawled back under the covers, sliding down until only her eyes peeped out.

"Good night," Persephone said again, and turned to leave.

"Wait!" cried Maci, popping out of the covers again.

When Persephone had turned, Macaria continued, "Where do you get a baby?"

Persephone stared rather stupidly at her.

"You said you lived happily ever after," she went on, genuinely curious, "and then got a baby named Macaria. Where'd you get me?" She tilted her head. "Is there a store?"

Persephone opened her mouth, closed it, rolled her eyes, and giggled softly to herself. Now was not a good time to discuss this.

"Um… it's a complicated… you know what, we should be waiting for your father or Ilithyia or someone to… just go to bed, okay, Maci?"

"Do Hera and Artemis and… and… and the other one—"

"Ilithyia."

"Right, do they bring them?"

"No—" Persephone stopped and shook her head, rolling her eyes again. "You know what, sure, let's go with that, it's easier." Two hours after Maci's bedtime was definitely, _definitely_ not the time to talk about where babies came from.

"Cool," said Macaria and sat back, satisfied, clutching Hi-Dah.

"Good _night_, Maci," Persephone said for at least the fourth time that night. For the fourth time, she turned, and started towards the door, and turned _again_ abruptly as Macaria's voice started up again, "Wait, wait, wait!"

"Macaria, you _need_ to go to bed," said Persephone, getting annoyed, hands on her hips.

Macaria ignored her, shifting to the side of the bed and squinting. Suddenly her face lit up and she pointed, excitedly, nearly falling off the bed in the process, "Is that the necklace daddy gave you?"

As sweet and adorable as the question was, Persephone needed Macaria to go to bed already and her repeated stalling was indeed getting on her nerves. However, Macaria was being innocently curious, and Persephone sighed.

"Yes, yes it is," she said, touching finger to her precious necklace. "You tried to eat it when you were little," she recalled.

"Oh. I'm sorry," said Macaria. Persephone rolled her eyes.

"You were a baby. You put everything in your mouth, I forgive you."

Macaria giggled as— for the fifth time now— Persephone turned back around to leave. "Now _go to bed_," she said firmly, "Way past your bedtime. Good night."

This time she had stepped out into the hall when Macaria called her back, "Mom, wait!"

Persephone whirled around, hands on her hips, "Macaria, go to _bed!_"

The godling was unfazed. "Just wanted to say good night, mommy. Love you," said Macaria, and buried under the covers again.

Persephone softened immediately. "Love you too, Maci," she smiled and backed out the door, "Good night."

* * *

~Author's Notes~ AUGH OMG I'M SO SO SO SO SO SO SORRY.

Summer camp sucked my time away, and, ah, teenage drama sucked my muse away. Then camp ended and school took its place. I am so, so, sorry for the THREE month delay in this chapter. DX

On a happier note, there are a few things I'd like to say:

*A little fun fact; Persephone says that she doesn't know who her father is. Her father, yes, is in fact Zeus, but she doesn't know this and will never find this out (despite the amusing plot qualities this subject may have.)

*This chapter was split in half from the last one and thank the gods I did that; this was ridiculously long even split in half.

*In case you couldn't figure it out? The story Persephone told Macaria as a bedtime story is The REAL Cosmic Couple. Word for word except for the sex/violence. XD

*Hints of an actual plot starts next chapter! AND NONE OF YOU WILL BE ABLE TO FIGURE OUT WHAT IT IS ANYWAY. MWAHAHA. (except for Loki and Lauren. SHH.)

:) Things should get back to normal now, with a nice normal update schedule. Be sure to review it if you read it and stay tuned until next time!

EDIT 9/21/10: 120 reviews. I love you guys. :D


	21. Part 21: Chapter XX

**_This _Persephone, Macaria, Aganippe, Eirene, Panaceia, Eupraxia, Hypnos, Thanatos, and Nyx are MINE. Anyone who uses them without my permission gets thrown in the Phlegethon River.**

**Everything/everyone else belongs to Disney. Use 'em at your own risk.**

**_Little Miss Flames and Flowers_**

Chapter XX: Macaria Tries Kindergarten Again, Comes Back to The Underworld, and Re-Meets The Nightmare Pair

Time, for the first spring/summer since she had married Hades, flew by incredibly quickly. Persephone had realized that with Macaria here, it almost _was_ like a vacation. One month after the first day, Persephone remembered the discussion of kindergarten back in the Underworld. She remembered Maci's Underworld-in-kindergarten disaster, and remembered thinking to herself if maybe— _maybe_— Maci might get along better on Olympus, or Earth.

Persephone looked at Macaria, who was on the floor, lying on her stomach, a handful of small straw dolls in her hand. Macaria frowned, not noticing her mother's eyes, and then swiftly set the little dolls on fire. She turned around, blinked to find Persephone watching her, then said indignantly, "Mom. I'm bored."

"Well, that's good," Persephone smiled brightly, "Remember back in the Underworld… kindergarten?"

Macaria's bored expression twisted into a frown, her eyes dark. "I didn't like it," she said flatly. Persephone kept a smile on.

"Well… that was just _Underworld_ kindergarten." Macaria looked doubtful and Persephone continued, "We're going to take you to a different one. It'll be fun."

"Are they gonna put me on that stool again?"

_Olympians, worshipping the Princess of the Underworld? It'll be the day Hades freezes over,_ snorted a voice in her head. Persephone's external smile became reassuring. "I promise, they won't."

"Because they all did last time." Macaria was scowling.

"No… no, I promise, they won't," Persephone held out her hand, "Want to try it?"

Macaria slowly took her hand. "I… guess," she said hesitantly, but she still looked doubtful.

Later, after letting Macaria run loose in the garden ("Don't pull anything, don't burn anything, don't pick anything," Persephone had instructed, and Maci had obediently nodded and scampered off.), Persephone approached her mother, hands folded over her chest.

"Hey, mom?" she asked. Demeter turned away from the sunflower she had been growing; the green glow around her hands faded. When her mother's attention was fixed on her, Persephone continued, "Is there a kindergarten on Olympus?"

Demeter's expression turned suspicious. "Why?"

"I just want to know," said Persephone.

Demeter avoided the question, instead giving her a sharp, disbelieving glance. "You're going to put Macaria there, aren't you?"

"I guess," said Persephone, shrugging one shoulder and internally bracing herself for Demeter's reaction.

The older goddess didn't react nearly as harshly as Persephone had assumed she would. However, her reaction was anything but nice. She snorted a laugh, "Good luck with that."

Persephone scowled. "It might work out well," she protested, the scowl downgrading to a frown, "Better than the one in the Underworld, anyway."

Demeter narrowed her eyes. "You sent your _child_ to a kindergarten in the _Underworld_?"

Persephone rolled her eyes. "Yes, mom… she's lived there her entire life, you know, it's not such a big deal."

"And you thought it would work out well?" cut Demeter, not listening to a word her daughter said.

Persephone resisted a very strong urge to snap something at her mother. As patiently as she could, she replied, "I did, and it didn't. But maybe Olympus will be better."

"Good _luck_ with _that_," Demeter sneered again. Persephone sighed.

"Look, I just want to know if there's a place I can send her to, okay? Can't you just answer me that without the sarcasm and insults?"

Demeter, one hand on one large hip, rolled her eyes skywards and thought for a moment. Persephone forced patience upon herself and waited for a response, hoping that for once it would be without nastiness.

"I'd assume so," Demeter said finally, slowly, "After all, where else would godlings go for education? Mortal school?" She laughed, not cruelly- Demeter was fond of mortals. "As if. No, I suppose there'd be something running on Olympus."

"Thank you," said Persephone, relieved.

Demeter arched one eyebrow at her and turned back to the sunflower in front of her. "You're honestly thinking that this will be a good idea?" she questioned without turning. Persephone shrugged, realized she couldn't see her, and said out loud, "I don't know. But it's worth a shot, right?"

"Hardly," Demeter sniffed, "We already know what the results will be."

"But it's _worth_ a shot," Persephone said flatly, and turned to leave, "Thank you." Then sarcastically, "It's been a pleasure."

"Perhaps," called Demeter, as Persephone backed out of the garden, "if Olympus doesn't suit her, she may in fact be better suited for school on Earth." Demeter was smirking. "Gods typically belong in a higher level than mortals, but I'd think for the Underworld's princess, we could make an exception."

Persephone shot her a dirty look and disappeared in a blast of pink.

* * *

The following Monday, Macaria found herself sitting awkwardly amongst a handful of brightly colored, brightly dressed Olympian godlings.

She had thought kindergarten would be fun, back in the Underworld. Then the experience had been a disaster. Watching other kids laugh and talk and play with toys, while she stood up on a pedestal like some kind of statue... she hadn't liked it at _all_, and she was uneasy about a repeat of last time. What if they stuck her up above them all again? What if they wouldn't let her touch anything? What if they all bowed to her? Macaria didn't want to be worshipped like a princess. She wanted to be treated like a godling.

But this kindergarten was different. The divinity in charge, first of all, was Eirene, the goddess of peace, rather than a shy Hundred-Handed One. Her very appearance nearly shocked Macaria; it was the very opposite of the Underworld, all pastels, soft colors, complete with a shiny white stone dove as a chiton pin. For the first time, it hit Maci exactly how _different_ this place was from her hometown.

She was sure that she was the only one on Olympus who'd ever be caught dead wearing black.

And then the children were just as different, all wearing white or some equally as light color, with soft, rainbow-ed skin tones to match. Macaria's soft rosy color didn't separate her from the group at all, but the dark black chiton she wore made her stick out, a black dot in a sea of white.

Then heads started to turn and frowns started to appear as kindergarten level minds realized that the stranger here, never before seen _anywhere_ on Olympus was not one of them.

Macaria steadily felt more and more uncomfortable, and her mood darkened as the discomfort settled in, side by side with a rising homesickness.

* * *

"You did what?" Persephone cried, astonished, then repeated in even more astonishment, "You did _what_

?"

Macaria tried to look as innocent as possible, violet eyes widening and hands folded behind her back.

"She was making fun of me," the little goddess argued, "And I was in a bad mood, it wasn't my fault."

"Ma_caria_," said Persephone, scowling at her, "Regardless of if she was making fun of you or not, it is _never_ okay to—"

"But she was making fun of me!"

"That doesn't make it okay to light people on fire, Macaria." Persephone groaned and sat down, her face buried in her hands as Macaria pouted at her and changed her tactics.

"I… didn't mean to," said Macaria uneasily. Persephone looked up.

"You didn't mean to? It was an accident that you set Panaceia on fire?" Persephone scowled deeper. "You are _lucky_ she can heal herself."

"Well, I'm not sorry," said Macaria huffily, then declared, "I don't _like_ kindergarten. I told you it'd be bad!"

"So if you don't like it, then you wait until the end of the day and then talk to me about it." Persephone remembered after the words were out that Maci was only 6 years old, and sighed to herself before continuing.

"Look, whatever the situation is, whether you like the situation or not, it is not and is never okay to set people on fire when you're angry."

Macaria kept a frown steady on her pink face. "But daddy said—"

_Of course_, groaned Persephone internally. Out-loud she said, "I don't _care_ what daddy says. You're not in the Underworld anymore. Olympus has different rules, and you can hurt people here."

Macaria was silent, considering this, a dark look in her eyes. She folded her arms and scowled up at her mother in an expression almost identical to Hades' temper tantrum faces. "I'm still not sorry," she said huffily, and took a cautious step back as Persephone's own scowl deepened, sensing danger.

But the goddess of spring only blew out a sigh and stared skywards, running an exasperated hand through her hair.

"You still have to apologize to her tomorrow," she said, as patiently as she could. Macaria suddenly looked upset.

"I have to go back?" she whined.

"No," said Persephone flatly, "You're not coming back, but we're taking a little visit to make an apology. And you _do_ have to say you're sorry," she quickly continued once she saw the protest forming on Maci's lips, "Even if you're really not, then just say you are, okay?"

"Fine," Macaria said reluctantly.

"And then we'll go find a new kindergarten for you to go to, okay?"

Macaria sighed, slumped against the nearest wall, and looked sulky.

"F_ine_," she scowled, and Persephone felt relieved to receive cooperation.

* * *

"Mother, if you dare say 'I told you so,' I'll plant asphodel in your head," Persephone grumbled, being completely sincere, as she ushered Maci out the door and into the care of a waiting Hermes. Demeter closed her opening mouth and settled for looking smug.

There was another kindergarten class on Olympus, but the instructor (Eupraxia, goddess of good conduct) had very politely made a point to hunt Persephone down and tell her that under no circumstances would Macaria be accepted in her class.

So mortal school it was.

Persephone could sense already that this was going to be a disaster, but she thought to herself how much more accepting mortals were of gods, how less discriminatory between Underworldians and Olympians— at least, she tried to convince herself of it.

And then there was the evident problem of, on the off-chance, they treated her like a proper "Olympian" goddess, would they stick her up above them and bow? Macaria had made her dislike of special treatment quite clear. She just wanted to be one of the kids.

Problems were springing up all over the place in Persephone's head, but anything was worth a shot, really. _And who knows?_ she thought, _It could work out perfectly. Maybe. _

She had hunted down Hermes and requested his help in depositing the Princess at her new school, and as they left, Persephone sat down uneasily and tried to banish the premonitions of disaster flitting through her head. _Maybe, maybe, maybe it'll go okay_, Persephone attempted convincing herself, _Maybe it will._

* * *

It didn't.

"Tell us about yourself, Macaria," said the instructor sweetly, giving the new student a discreet onceover with her eyes. Macaria was standing in the middle of a circle of children, some sucking on fingers, others fidgeting uneasily, still others just looking.

Macaria blinked up at Aganippe, glanced around her, and said casually, "I live in the Underworld." The little faces around her changed to surprise and she continued, "And my grandma hates me so I have to stay here and I don't like it."

"Why does she hate you?" someone said curiously and Macaria shrugged.

"Can I sit? I don't want to talk," said Macaria in a whine and Aganippe gave a little shrug of her own and nodded. Macaria plopped down on the floor.

She was starting to feel a little more relaxed as the day went on, seeing as this had been the only bad part of it so far. "I can deal with this," she said to herself cheerfully and tried to keep in this state of mind for the rest of the day.

Then soon, things got bad.

They had been painting the whole day, and Maci hadn't quite realized it, but Aganippe had been quietly watching her paint her pictures, using only the color black (as a result, Macaria was covered up to her elbows in black paint, but that was beside the point). As Macaria began to paint a flower in that same color, Aganippe felt she had to say something and approached her politely.

"Maci, sweetie, don't you think you should use other colors?" Macaria looked up, narrowed her eyes, and fixed her with a glare.

"You don't like my pictures?"

"No, no, of course I do." Aganippe smiled, "But I think it might look nice if you use something other than black. Here," she picked up a container of emerald green, "Try this, maybe."

Macaria looked at it, then back to her teacher, then back to her flower-in-progress. "I like black," she said slowly.

"And it's a lovely color," she agreed, "But maybe if you—"

"I don't want to use other colors. I like black." Macaria turned back to her flower as if this dismissed the subject.

"Just use another color," Aganippe told her in a slightly pleading tone of voice, "Won't your parents want something nice to hang on their walls? Something colorful." Macaria turned again, and this time her tone was clipped and tight.

"Everything in my home is black. I like black. My mommy likes black. My daddy likes black. And they're gonna like everything I make so go away." Again, Macaria went back to her flower, but Aganippe kept trying. She could only be stubborn for so long, she figured.

"Macaria, please, just try another color," she pleaded and pushed several canisters of multicolored paint towards her. Macaria suddenly stood up from her chair sharply, knocking over a cup of blue as she did.

"I don't _want_ to!" she yelled, exploded, and in the same motion threw black paint all over her teacher.

Kids had backed up against the walls as this happened, and now gaped openmouthed at Macaria. The Princess of the Underworld stood still, extinguished, and sat down, composing herself. "How's that for different colors," she said moodily, and continued to paint with whatever black was left.

As Aganippe quickly went into another room to beseech Persephone, Macaria turned and found every pair of eyes in the classroom focused on her. She glared for a moment before relaxing and turning back to her project with a satisfied smirk.

* * *

"Just ten minutes. Five. Two. One. Anything. Please," begged Persephone to her mother. She was coming close to getting on her knees and trying again. Demeter's face remained set in a frown.

"Persephone, if you had any responsibility in you on your own, you'd handle this on your own."

"I _can't_ handle it on my own! I don't know what to do. First Olympus, now this, and I can't control her." Persephone took a deep breath. "Just let me talk to him for a few minutes. I can't be a single parent when my daughter is acting like a sadistic pyromaniac. And I don't need to be struggling with this when my husband _is_ a sadistic pyromaniac."

"I don't want him in my house, Persephone."

"So we'll stand outside. Just for a few minutes, I need his help," Persephone said, trying to be reasonable, "Please. _Please._"

Demeter stared at her. She thought for a very long time.

"_Fine_," she finally grumbled, "Only a few minutes. I'm timing you." As she spoke, she turned a small hourglass on the table besides her upside-down and raised an expectant eyebrow. Persephone beamed, feeling triumphant, and quickly stepped outside to call Hades.

"So my daughter is now the terror of the Underworld, Olympus, _and_ Earth," was Hades' response when Persephone had filled him in on everything, "Cool."

Persephone gave him a look, which was hard, because she was snugly wrapped in his arms.

"Hades, it's not 'cool' in any way. In fact, it's bordering on the edge of 'serious.'" She took a breath and closed her eyes. Macaria was back in the house with Demeter, and Persephone wasn't sure she even knew that her father was here, much less that they were discussing her. "She doesn't listen to me… she's even started throwing temper tantrums around the house and I can't stop her." Persephone scowled. "I mean, I could, but I'd get burned."

"I say keep a bucket of water around the house," he said lightly, and Persephone glared again.

"_Hades_. I said, this is serious!"

Hades rolled his eyes and shot her a small smirk. "I'm _being_ serious. How else are you going to stop her if I'm not there?" Persephone raised an eyebrow and turned to face him better.

"Won't it… hurt or something?"

He shrugged. "Nah… just a little annoyance, and, hey, if it'll get her to cool down and stop trying to burn your house down, then why not give it a shot?" Hades' smirk faded. "Dunno about kindergarten, though… You could keep her in a giant water tank when she goes out in public…" Persephone raised both her eyebrows and Hades' smirk came back. "That time, I was joking."

"Good," said Persephone flatly, and sighed. "Well, look. I do _want_ her to keep going to some kind of school. She doesn't have too many friends here, or even at home, and social experiences would be very good for her. But if she's going to keep flipping out on people, then what can we do? Her only real burn victim was Panaceia and she's the goddess of cures, she can heal herself, it was okay." Persephone bit her lip. "But the next time? If the next one can't? And she seriously hurts someone? _Then_ what? Then what do we do?"

"I do not know," Hades said. He fell silent and brought a thoughtful hand up to his chin. "Do you know why she's going psycho on everyone?" he wondered out loud. Persephone shook her head no, and then thought about it.

"Maybe she's homesick," Persephone offered after a moment's pause. The idea seemed plausible enough, but Hades simply rolled his eyes.

"Too poetic," he said, shrugging a shoulder, "She probably just dislikes the Olympians like any normal Underworldian."

Persephone smiled at this before responding. "It could be a combination of both, y'know. Regardless, we need to know what to do for the rest of these six months. I'd like to keep her in kindergarten." Hades raised an eyebrow and she went on, "Maybe not _this_ one but one somewhere else."

"You're going to keep trying until someone gets killed?"

Persephone shot him a look. "She's five, Hades… don't think she'll be killing anyone anytime soon."

"Still."

"But yeah, I guess I'll keep trying," Persephone sighed, "I mean, there's got to be that one place where she'll calm down. That one place that she'll tolerate."

"Sounds like a plan," said Hades. Reluctantly they separated themselves from each other and stood face to face. Persephone cast a glance towards the door and was about to call Macaria to come out, when Demeter appeared in the doorframe. She held up the drained hourglass.

"Leave," said Demeter darkly, and Hades stuck his tongue out at her. Persephone sighed and hugged him.

"I'll try to convince her to let you come back," she whispered to him, out of Demeter's earshot, "so maybe next time you can see Maci."

"Sounds like a plan," he repeated with a smirk, "Let me know how the psychosis conundrum works out." As Seph rolled her eyes, Hades vanished in a plume of dark smoke and Demeter let out a sigh of relief.

"You should thank me, I let him stay a few seconds more than planned," huffed Demeter, and stormed back inside.

* * *

14 cases of torching, 12 cases of intimidations, 8 cases of bullying, 9 cases of school-toy-vandalizing, 7 cases of school furniture vandalizing, 5 cases of school _building _vandalizing, 5 cases of temper tantrums, and 3 cases of beating up classmates later, it was time for Persephone to give up on kindergarten and finally take Macaria and herself home to the Underworld.

Demeter had let her converse once more with Hades and though he had originally laughed as she recounted their daughter's destructive capers, they both agreed to maybe shelve kindergarten and try school again when she was older and a little more mature. _Start with first or second grade,_ he had suggested, _and let's not make it on Earth, she'll go psycho-Maci again._ But the span of each trial had taken up the whole space of six months and now Macaria was trying to pack her suitcase all on her own.

"Mom, it's not closing," whined the godling, putting all of her weight into closing the stuffed-to-the-brim suitcase. But her weight wasn't much, and Persephone appeared at her side to help. Two thick vines crawled from the ground finally and held it shut so Macaria could latch it closed.

"What time are we getting home?" Macaria pressed for the dozen-th time, hopping up on her bed, for the last time in six months, and kicking her legs over the edge. Persephone rose and gave her a look. "Not long," said the goddess, "The time hasn't changed since the last time I told you. Don't you listen?"

"I forgot," she said mildly, and kicked her legs up and down again. "Is Hi-Dah in the bag? We can't forget him."

"Yes, he's in the bag," Persephone said patiently, "and we didn't forget a thing. I've been doing this for years, Maci, don't worry about it."

"You promised you'd show me Menthe when we got home," Macaria went on, jumping to a different subject. She had promised months ago but it was hard to forget; Maci had made Persephone retell the story almost every night.

"She's right in my garden, you've probably passed her dozens of times without realizing it," Persephone smirked as she recalled that fateful day, and sat next to her daughter. "Would you like to see the cage I got stuck in, too?"

"Gods, yes!" exclaimed Maci, wide-eyed and grinning, and Persephone laughed. Her eyes darted to the sundial hanging on the wall, and she suddenly stood from the bed, taking Maci's hand.

"We should get going." Macaria's face broke into a huge smile at Seph's words and she slid off the bed to join her mother.

"How long is it going to take?" she asked. Again.

It didn't take long at all. Very soon after, Macaria had hurriedly scrambled over the edge of Charon's boat, tumbled clumsily into Stygian mud, picked herself up and tackled Hades as best she could. He, having been waiting for the two by the banks, blinked, smirked, and pried her off him by the back of her chiton.

"I missed you," she said happily, dangling a few centimeters in the air by black fabric. Hades put her down and knelt to her level, still smirking. "Missed you, too, kid," he admitted, the highest level of soft he would let himself get to, "How much hell did you give Demeter?" Macaria's smile turned into a fanged smirk of her own.

"She hates me," Macaria reported gleefully and Hades stood up again.

"Yeah, well, she hates everyone. But congratulations." He snickered and high-fived her. Macaria looked very pleased with herself while Persephone stepped out of the boat and shooed Charon away.

"One big happy family again," he muttered under his breath as he rowed away.

Macaria glanced excitedly around her, relished happily in the familiar surroundings, and scurried off in the direction of the palace, most likely to find Pain and Panic. She left her parents alone, and in her absence, the pair hugged, and then kissed.

"I have to say, the months did go by very fast," Persephone said, leaning contentedly against him and walking (somehow at the same time) with him back to the palace. He looked at her with a crooked eyebrow, "For you, maybe."

Persephone remembered suddenly that while she had been up on Olympus with Macaria the whole time, feeling as if the trip was indeed a vacation, Hades had been trapped here without his wife and daughter, alone. She felt very guilty and hugged him tightly, stopping both of them in their tracks. "I'm sorry," she said softly, and let a small smile cross her face, "Would you like to gripe to me about the six months? I have half a year to listen.'

He smiled back and hugged her back. "It'd be much appreciated," Hades said and Persephone felt much, much happier under the Earth.

* * *

Macaria's sixth birthday was the cause of much celebration in the Underworld. It was in part a welcome home party and in part a birthday party, but Macaria would have been pleased with either: it was the first 'party' party her parents had given her. She had loved it.

Half the Underworld had been present in the palace (Hades had been very, very uncomfortable with this and had spent the majority of the gathering glowering at people from his throne). Macaria acted quite the attention hog, purposely making sure that she was the center of everything for the party, not once letting any eyes drift to anyone else. The day after her birthday party, after sleeping past noon (she had been up _late_ the night before), Macaria got dressed all on her own and wandered out into the open Underworld.

She went to the banks of the Styx and said hello to Cerberus, her precious puppy; he licked her with three tongues, coating the princess of three layers of saliva, which she laughed and shook off. She went to Tartarus and stood on her toes to try and see over the heavy iron gates, blood-curdling screams coming from within, and then settled for peeping through the small holes at the bottom on her hands and knees. She went to Elysium, passed through the border without any trouble, waved to the shades whom she would rule over once she got older, picked a flower, and left. Her journey ended in the Fields of Asphodel, and she stood in the silvery, ankle length grass for a few moments.

Macaria watched the lines of souls march through her and past her on either side, orderly lines trailing far past her line of view. The field was barren, except for grass and the light grey and pink asphodel flowers, trampled down by the friendlier demons who manned the place. The not-so-wicked-not-so-good were sentenced to an eternity of marching in circles. Most people, her parents had explained, fell into this category, which was why it was so crowded. The fields grew when it needed to, to make room for additional shades that were always pouring in. She had been here many times, because it was so quiet and solitary—unlike Tartarus, where the screams of the damned echoed, and Elysium, where the bubbly chatter of the blessed rang through. Macaria was, at the age of six-and-a-day, quite the social butterfly, but she liked time on her own as well.

But then Macaria looked up and frowned. Spending time on your own was not easy to do when there were other people with you.

Yes, there was other people here; one, in fact, and as she suddenly felt close to flaring (Asphodel was _her_ private spot, how dare someone take it from her!), the person vanished and reappeared right in front of her. Macaria opened her mouth to snap at him and then closed it as he spoke hurriedly.

"Hide me, hide me, he's gonna kill me!" screeched the god and dove behind a very bewildered Macaria. She blinked and turned to confront him again.

"What—" started Macaria, and then repeated, "What?" in astonishment because whoever this god was, he had gone and fallen asleep.

She, wide eyed, closed her mouth and studied him while he was unconscious. The god couldn't be more than 13 years old, she decided, and although the age was young, it was much older than her and she felt slightly intimidated (despite the fact that he was fast asleep). He had blond hair that stopped just above his shoulders, and his skin was pale blue with his chiton a shade darker than his skin tone. Around the neck of his chiton was a stiff, darker collar that stuck up. And everything about him seemed eerily familiar, like she had seen him before, though she was sure she hadn't.

Macaria considered waking him up. She didn't know if he was one of the nicer gods in the Underworld (she knew there were some, but she had yet to meet any of them besides her mother), or if he was the kind who'd smite her on the spot despite her royal status. It was best to let sleeping gods lie, she decided, and started to back away. Whatever he was hiding from, anyway, surely couldn't be gaining on him, because they were alone in the Asphodel Fields—

She then noticed that this mysterious deity wasn't the only mysterious deity in the field.

Macaria blinked as she observed the conscious god who was, in fact, steadily gaining on the one sleeping behind her. Even from the distance she was from him, she could tell that he couldn't be more than 13 years old, he had black hair that stopped just above his shoulders (and looked as if it hadn't been brushed in weeks and washed in days), and his skin was bright scarlet with his chiton a shade darker than his skin tone. He had a stiff, darker collar that stuck up, and again Macaria felt the eerie feeling of familiarity even though she was now definitely positive she had never met either of them before. As he stormed closer, Macaria suddenly twisted back to look at the sleeping god behind her, then back to the red one; they had the same exact face, only differently colored.

_Twins?_ she wondered, and then knelt next to the now snoring teenager on the ground. She poked him multiple times and slowly he yawned and sat up.

"Is that what you're hiding from?" she asked and pointed back towards the other god. The one on the ground blinked slowly, leaned to the side to see past her, and all of a sudden was wide-awake.

"Why, what'd he d—" she started but he had leapt up and was backing nervously away from the other deity. Macaria realized she was caught in the middle of them and, rather than running, she stood curiously in place to see what would happen.

"Hypnos, that's funny how you think a field of transparent people is a good hiding place," snarled the red god and Hypnos, apparently the blue god, seemed to shrink lower into his chiton.

"I didn't _mean_ to, it was an accident, I told you already!" cried Hypnos backing up a little farther as the red god advanced. The space between Macaria and the other stranger was getting smaller and she instinctively took a step back. "And—and you have more at home!"

"That does _not_ give you grounds to break my things!" screamed back the other god while Hypnos screamed at the same time, "It was an accident!"

"What was an accident?" asked Maci curiously but neither paid her question any attention; or maybe they simply hadn't heard her.

"I'll—I'll pay you back, Thanatos," pleaded Hypnos, and Macaria looked back at Thanatos, both names ringing very slight bells in the back of her head, "And you have_ more_, I don't know why—"

"_That_ one happened to be my favorite one, and you broke it," Thanatos said icily, stopping right in front of Macaria with a scowl set firmly on his face, "You owe me one new scythe and I'm making mom make you give me one."

"What's a scythe?" piped up Macaria and again neither heard her.

"I _told_ you, I didn't mean to!"

"Yeah, right," Thanatos snapped and moved forwards to meet Hypnos. But Macaria was standing in his way, and as she saw the furious expression he was wearing, she decided to intervene a little. He moved to get past her and she moved the same direction; he went the other way and she did the same thing. Thanatos stopped and fixed her with a very pointed, exasperated look.

"Move," he said flatly. Macaria opened her mouth to retort that he couldn't speak to the Princess of the Underworld that way, and froze instead. His irises were bright, bright red, and almost seemed to glow right out of his head. She instinctively flinched away from the laser-like glare and he brushed right past her.

Macaria turned a little to see if Hypnos's eyes were as intense as his brother's were, but only saw a rather mild light blue. Then she noticed that the two were clawing violently at each other.

Macaria stared with her mouth open at the display of violence, and pondered what to do. Without really thinking about it, she ran in between them and flared up with all her strength. The effect, and the heat, worked well, and the brothers jumped apart as if burned. This was probably very accurate.

"What the—" Thanatos started as Hypnos exclaimed happily, "_Thank_ you!" The pair, having shifted to stand side by side, looked even more alike when next to each other. Macaria noticed that, at the side of each's collars, there was a chiton pin; Thanatos was adorned with a little skull much like her parents carried, and Hypnos had a simple circle, a sleeping face painted carefully on the surface.

"So who are you?" they both said at the same time. Hypnos's voice sounded curious, while Thanatos just sounded very mildly interested (and neither reacted to having spoken simultaneously). Macaria stared at them, confused. How could they not know who she was? The whole Underworld knew her. She was famous, and she knew it. Had these people been living under a rock their whole lives?

"_I_," said Macaria, puffing up her little chest and trying to look as important as she knew she was, "am the Princess of the Underworld."

It was as if these words were magic. Hypnos, who looked like he was passing out again, snapped wide awake and Thanatos' eyes widened (Macaria noticed that the glowing red had subsided, and wondered in the back of her head if she had imagined it) and looked relatively nervous. She smirked and beamed at her status, wishing she had thought to bring her crown along on her wandering.

"Oh, gods," said Thanatos.

"Well, thanks for helping me," said Hypnos brightly, recovering from the slight shock of meeting and talking to The Princess herself, "my brother acts insane sometimes." He shot said brother a dirty look and continued brightly, "I'm Hypnos, by the way. God of sleep, member of the Nyx clan."

"Thanatos," Thanatos introduced himself in turn, studying Macaria, "God of gentle death and, unfortunately, another 'member of the Nyx clan.'" He glared at Hypnos, "Which, by the way, is a stupid name."

"I like it," Hypnos huffed, "And everyone else likes it, so shut up."

"The Nyx clan?" repeated Macaria, out of the loop. They both cocked their heads in the same direction.

"You know. The swarm of children that all come from the same parents," explained Thanatos and sat on the grass cross-legged. Something twisted into his hands out of dark light and when the light cleared, he was twirling something back and forth. It was long, black handled, and had a shiny, curved blade at one end. Macaria blinked and sat down in front of him, studying the weapon in his hands. She wasn't sure, but there was a dot of something on the very tip of the blade that could have been dried blood. The rest of it shone like it had been polished this morning.

Hypnos sat down next to his brother and indignantly pointed out, "See, you have more. You don't have to jump down my throat because I broke one."

"It was my favorite, Hypnos," Thanatos snapped back and Hypnos rolled his eyes, leaned back on his hands, then passed out.

Macaria sat up, alarmed. Thanatos didn't flinch, only looked calmly at his sleeping brother and then back to Macaria.

"He does that. A lot," sighed Thanatos, "He's the god of sleep, you know."

"So he sleeps a lot?"

"He passes out a lot, rather. He can't control his power and it… overwhelms him sometimes." He glanced at Hypnos again, and then added scornfully, "It's almost sad."

"Oh." Macaria hugged her knees to her chest, studying Thanatos now that he was closer up to her. He had looked the same as when she had observed him from a distance. His face was the same as Hypnos'… Macaria simply noticed more, like that his nose curled up at the end, and that his chin was squared and angular, and his hair looked even worse up close then it did from afar…

"So what do you do?" he asked her, fingers steepled under his chin. Macaria snapped back to attention and tilted her head.

"What do you mean, what do I do? I'm a princess."

"You're the goddess of princesses?" He had set the weapon in his hands in his lap and it lay balanced on his knees.

"Oh. No," said Macaria, "Elysium."

"You're the goddess of Elysium."

"I will be," she said proudly, "when I got older. My mom and dad said. And then I get my own bubble of Underworld to play in."

"I see," said Thanatos. He picked his scythe up again and twirled it in his hands. "Better than my job, I'm sure."

She frowned. "Death? But that's so cool."

"No." He looked suddenly disgusted and stood up, still twirling his scythe expertly. "It's terribly boring. You've got way too many limits in the realm of gentle death." Macaria popped to her feet, shooting a quick glance at the still sleeping Hypnos.

"Well, it still _sounds_ cool," she declared and put her hands on her hips. "How do you do it?"

"What?"

"How do you do the death thing? Do you just walk around, up there?" She pointed to the ceiling. "And kill people."

"Pretty much." Thanatos shrugged. "Except I fly."

"You… fly? With _what_?"

He didn't move, but the scarlet aura around him glowed brighter for a second. Columns melted out of his back, and the columns melted into a pair of dark, black, feathered wings.

"These," said Thanatos.

"Wow." Macaria eyes were wide-open. She looked down at Hypnos and blinked, "Can he do that, too?"

"Yeah," said Thanatos, and sat back down.

"…should we wake him up?"

He rolled his eyes. "If you want, I guess." Macaria nodded and he poked him with the handle of his scythe. When no response was given, he poked him again, harder, and then all-out jabbed him in the ribs. Hypnos squealed and popped up.

"Mm. Did I miss anything?" Hypnos yawned and blinked his half-closed eyes at Macaria. "Macaria, right?"

"Maci," said Maci.

"Oh, see, now you have a name that's good for nicknames," Hypnos said. He was, apparently, the cheerful type, who liked to babble about anything in particular. This was good. Macaria was the same way. "You can't get a thing out of 'Hypnos.' Except maybe 'Hyp' or 'Nosie' but those are stupid names. You can get 'Thanny' out of Thanatos, I guess, but he hates when people call him that…"

"I hate when _you_ call me that, Hypnos," Thanatos rolled his eyes, "Because you're the only person who calls me that."

"Maci's a good nickname, though," Hypnos continued, ignoring Thanatos, and yawned.

"Thanks," Maci said, smiling her fanged smile. Thanatos raised an eyebrow at it, but she didn't notice. "What do _you_ do? You're Sleep, right?" She frowned. "Isn't there already a Sleep?"

Hypnos frowned and shrugged a shoulder. "Morpheus is Sleep on _that_ side—" he pointed to the ceiling, "—and I'm Sleep down here. I mean… I will be. Not yet."

"He's supposed to be," Thanatos further explained, "Except he's really stupid and can't control his powers, so—"

"Hey!"

"It's _true._" Thanatos turned back to Maci. "He needs to wait 'til he's older to fill his purpose in life. As for now, his existence is pointless."

Hypnos looked slightly hurt. "I'm telling mom," he mumbled, and slumped.

"Oh. Then do you have wings, too?"

The mention of these made him brighten considerably. "Of course I do," he said and glowed blue; the same process repeated with Hypnos, and wings that were feathered white appeared on his back.

"Cool." Macaria was smiling. "I wish I had wings. I don't. I can only burn things." She added, looking proud, "And _I_ can control my powers."

"Lookit that, you got bested by a six year old," Thanatos muttered under his breath to Hypnos. Hypnos scowled at him.

Macaria, oblivious to the conversation, continued, "See, look." Her arms flared up to her elbows then the flames crawled past them up to her shoulders. Her whole body was suddenly engulfed in flame, eyes yellow, skin orange, and Hypnos and Thanatos drew back a little from the fire.

"Impressive," Thanatos commented, and Hypnos looked fascinated.

"Does it hurt, doing that?" he asked. Macaria extinguished and shook her head, ponytail bouncing. "I was born with it. My daddy gave it to me."

"Very impressive," Thanatos said again.

"Yes." Macaria beamed, stood up, rocked on her heels, and asked with a genuine curiousity, "Are we friends now?"

The twins frowned and looked confused.

"If you want to be," shrugged Hypnos. Macaria looked expectantly at Thanatos, who blinked and looked to Hypnos for help. Hypnos looked from Macaria to Thanatos and smirked at his brother, who scowled back, put on a calmer face for Maci, and replied casually, "I… guess so."

"_Best_ friends?" she pressed, rocking back and forth. Thanatos looked to Hypnos again, whose smirk widened. Finding no help, he bit back a sigh and smiled. "Sure," said Thanatos, "If you want to be." When the goddesses' eyes closed and she beamed triumphantly, Thanatos shot Hypnos a dirty, dirty look, and mouthed a dirtier word. Hypnos kept the smug smirk on his face, knowing that they were thinking the same thing.

"Cool," said Macaria, "Do you want to come home with me?" The smirk/scowl faded from both of their faces and they exchanged glances.

"Home," repeated Thanatos.

"Home, like, your home?" echoed Hypnos.

"The palace?" Thanatos asked in turn.

"_Your_ palace," Hypnos added.

Macaria blinked. "What other palace? That's the only place I live."

A moment of sheer panic passed between the two.

"Um, would we have to… meet your parents?" ventured Hypnos uneasily and Thanatos chewed just as uneasily on his fingernail. Macaria didn't catch onto the unease and nodded with a shrug.

"They're nice," she said mildly and started to walk forwards.

"Hades, nice?" hissed Thanatos sarcastically to Hypnos, "Is she talking about the same Hades?"

"Yes," Macaria turned, overhearing the conversation. "He's nice. And my mommy's nice. Except her mommy's not. Are you going to come?"

The twins still looked very nervous.

"Please?" Macaria pouted at them. "You said we were friends."

"We just _met_ you," protested Thanatos.

"But you said we were friends." She suddenly looked upset. "We are friends, right? Right?"

Hypnos, chewing on his own fingernail, shrugged at Thanatos. Thanatos winced and stood up.

"…Fine," said the teenage god of death in defeat. Hypnos stood up at his side, wings fluttering nervously.

"They're nice, I promise," she said again, and resumed walking. The now older Nightmare Pair followed her obediently, hushed conversation passing between the two.

"I can't believe we're doing this," Hypnos whimpered, "Hades and Persephone? _Hades_ and _Persephone_? What if we're not allowed to talk to their daughter? What if they hurt us? What if they hurt _me_?"

"Can't believe we agreed to this," muttered Thanatos in reply, biting his lower lip, "They're gonna flip out, you know they don't like the 'Nyx clan,' or whatever you call it."

"Yes, I'm well, well aware," Hypnos hissed back, "Oh, gods, what are we gonna do?"

"Ditch her," suggested Thanatos and started to turn around, but Hypnos grabbed him by the sleeve.

"We can't do that. She's little. And she's so cute," Hypnos rolled his eyes, "You can be mean to whoever you want, Thanatos. Little children is where you should draw the line."

"I don't want to _do_ this, Hypnos, we're gonna get zapped," protested Thanatos. Hypnos shrugged and dragged him along, beginning to cheer up.

"Lighten up, Thanatos… maybe it won't be that bad. And if it is… I mean, things could be worse." He inclined his head towards his brother and smirked, "You could have a six year old crushing on you. Oh, _wait, _that's _right_!"

Thanatos scowled and hit him. "Shut _up_," he growled, "There's no way you could possibly know that for sure."

"No. But I can come pretty close," Hypnos was smirking solidly, "C'mon, Thanatos, think of the positives. If you marry the Princess, you'll be a Prince."

"_Shut up_," Thanatos whined, and as Hypnos snickered, he stormed ahead of him to catch up with Macaria.

* * *

~Author's Notes~ I got a flashdrive and I've been typing chapters every day during my lunch period at school. Expect updates more regularly. :)

Yes, Hypnos and Thanatos are both very important to the story. That's all the hint I'm giving. The rest, you'll have to wait and see. ;)

If you read it, review it, and until next time, good bye! :D


	22. Part 22: Chapter XXI

**_This _Persephone, Macaria, Hypnos, Thanatos, Erebus and Nyx are MINE. Anyone who uses them without my permission gets thrown in the Phlegethon River.**

**Everything/everyone else belongs to Disney. Use 'em at your own risk.**

**_Little Miss Flames and Flowers_**

Chapter XXI: Chaos.

"Are… are you sure we're allowed to do this?" Hypnos hesitantly asked, looking around him with wide eyes at the gaping hallways, spiral staircases, and black embossed doors. Thanatos, at his side, looked just as stunned, but little Macaria looked casual as ever. She wormed between them and then past them, climbing up a step on the staircase and pausing. The teenage god of sleep stared at a spider scuttling up the wall and then back at Macaria, yawning as he did so.

"Of course we're allowed," she replied brightly, "I live here."

"Okay, but are _we_ allowed here?" Thanatos asked, tearing his own eyes away from the skeletal chandelier on the ceiling. Both of them were mystified, having only heard stories, myths, and legends about the royal family's castle. They both vaguely remembered a time in their childhood when they had been here; but it was only a faint memory and neither could remember the place being this big, this detailed, and this… forbidden.

Macaria probably didn't even realize that this place had been off-limits to them for as long as each twin could remember, and was still off-limits to "outsiders" like Hypnos and Thanatos were. She blinked.

"Why wouldn't you be?" Hypnos and Thanatos exchanged glances. How could she be this sheltered? Even Hypnos knew that Hades was prone to explosive bits of fiery rage, directed at those who got in his way. Macaria was his own daughter, and probably smarter than Hypnos (who was not exactly the sharpest tool in the toolbox). How could she not know? Hypnos turned to Thanatos, usually half-opened eyes opened wide.

"Hades is gonna kill us when he finds us here," hissed Hypnos to his brother in one hysterical breath, and Thanatos winced in an understanding gesture.

"Think Hades Junior would try to roast us if we made a run for it?" Thanatos replied in a low tone of his own. Hypnos glanced at innocent little Macaria, standing at the foot of the stairs waiting for her new friends, and narrowed his eyes at Thanatos, feeling suddenly defensive.

"She's not a Hades Junior. She's not anything like Hades. She's nice," Hypnos replied huffily. Though his brief meeting of the princess had mostly consisted of him asleep, he had liked Maci a lot. She was cute, and he had always liked children, anyway.

But his emotionally challenged brother was more of a loner, and was definitely not the kind of person to babysit a six year old, much less enjoy having one hang all over him. Still, even if he didn't like Maci, he could at least pretend. He could at least be nice.

Thanatos sighed, rolled his red eyes, and corrected himself. "Fine, think 'Macaria' will roast us if we make a run for it?"

"I don't want to _leave_ her; I just don't want to get in trouble—"

"Ma_ci_, you're clogging up the stairs!" cried a high throaty voice suddenly. Thanatos looked past Hypnos to see; Hypnos turned, too, and yawned.

Waddling down the stairs was a round magenta colored imp, looking distressed. Macaria had turned to face him, and Hypnos could practically sense the heat radiating off of her as she readied to explode. A thinner, greenish imp scrambled down the stairs to join his counterpart and he spoke too, shrilly, "Maci, this is a fire hazard! In a palace with you and Hades, we don't need more of those!"

"It's my house, I can stand wherever I want," Macaria replied with a very haughty air, crossing her arms. The two imps scrambled around her and scowled, but gave up the fight before more fire hazards took place.

Hypnos took a wary step back and so did Thanatos, sensing his train of thought. But when the little pink and turquoise creatures went to walk past, muttering to each other about how Maci was a little tyrant in training, they found themselves face to face with two gods who were not supposed to be there and snapped to business-like action.

"Uh, no-one's allowed _in_ here," scowled the magenta imp, drawing himself up to his full height of not much. Hypnos blinked, flushed a darker shade of blue, and then quickly stepped back to let his twin take over.

Hypnos supposed that he _was_ good for some things, but public speaking and talking his way out of sticky situations were more in Thanatos' circle of expertise. Thanatos sighed and stepped forward as Hypnos stepped back, and he knelt to the two imps' level. The fat one looked annoyed, with a faint trace of worry in its yellow eyes. The thin one had started to hyperventilate and looked like it was going to have a heart attack.

"Look, your Princess kidnapped us. Trust me, we'd never come 'intruding' if it was up to us."

"Yeah, right, you teenagers are all the same," spat the thin imp, and narrowed his eyes, looking more annoyed than panicked for a moment.

Thanatos rolled his eyes. "I'm serious. Escaping Hades' explosive wrath isn't our idea of a fun day."

"You really expect us to believe a six year old forced you here?" sneered the fat one, and laughed meanly. "Yeah, right. Tell it to the judge, buddy, you're going straight to Hades."

Thanatos stood up amicably, ignoring Hypnos freaking out behind him. _The last thing you need, _Hypnos warned Thanatos in his head, knowing the god couldn't hear his thoughts, _is another run-in with trouble, and another lecture from Nyx. Especially when you're with me!_ Thanatos was not a… model god, and he did do things sometimes that weren't exactly 'model behavior'. Nyx was a powerful, no-nonsense goddess, and as a mother, she used the same techniques (though, of course, with a much softer edge). Hypnos was his exact opposite, quite the goody-two-shoes: and therefore getting caught in _Hades'_ palace with his trouble making brother would send Nyx into furious hysteria (which was, in fact, a gross exaggeration; Nyx wasn't the 'hysteria' type of person) over the notion that the good twin had been overcome by the worse one.

He tried to avoid his brother as much as he could, but it was hard. Hypnos wasn't the smartest person, and he knew no-one could take him anywhere without being ready to poke him in the side or something when he passed out, sound asleep, on the floor. His powers really were too much for him to handle, and he knew it, but Nyx was too busy to keep an eye on him constantly. Naturally, Thanatos had been appointed his brother's babysitter and Hypnos was doomed to an eternity of Thanatos following him around and making sure he didn't tumble, asleep, into the Phelegethon.

But he had to reluctantly admit, his brother wasn't all bad and all disastrous all of the time—just most of the time. He knew Thanatos did prefer to be on his own; just him and his own thoughts, and had realized that the situation they were always in together was hell for both of them. There were rare, rare times when they got along for a few minutes, sometimes even a half hour. But that was the exception, always the exception. Hypnos could easily live without the constant risk of being looped into one of Thanatos'… endeavors, and Thanatos could easily live without babysitting his twin brother.

Hypnos refocused as he noticed something clinging to his brother's ankle, and saw that Thanatos had noticed it too.

"Can you _not_?" said Thanatos dryly and yanked his foot away from the imps, spreading his wings for balance as he teetered on one leg. The huffy imps scrambled back and then shape-shifted into a pair of huffy pink and green harpies.

"Surrender or die!" barked the green one. Thanatos stifled a snicker and turned to Hypnos.

"Are these guys for real?" he laughed but Hypnos didn't find a thing about the situation funny. He found himself trying to back farther away and bumping against a wall, a look of sheer panic on his face. Thanatos sighed and glanced back at the harpy-imps, who were trying to look as menacing as they could. It wasn't working on the young god of death, but it was taking a toll on Hypnos, who was turning paler and paler.

"If it means _that_ much to you, we'll lea—" Thanatos started, addressing the pair, but then Macaria ran forward in between them.

"Pain, Panic, stop that! They're my friends!" she cried. Pain and Panic looked suddenly nervous and shifted back. Hypnos breathed an almost silent sigh of relief. Before he could express his gratitude to little Maci, he felt the all too familiar strings of drowsiness pulling on him and soon had slumped against the wall, fast asleep.

Thanatos sighed and moved to wake him as the scene went on.

"Maci, the rules are, no-one's allowed—" the green imp started, ignoring the twins behind him. Macaria stepped forwards, her eyes flashing yellow for just a second, and the imp quieted. "Panic, I said, they're my friends," she said firmly, "You can't kick them out. They're my _friends._"

"Listen to the Princess," Hypnos chimed in shrilly, awake from a quick kick to the side via Thanatos. He sheepishly stood up and fought a yawn, eager despite himself to see the conflict taking place.

Panic was looking more and more nervous as the other imp, apparently Pain, waddled to stand next to him, twisting his thin tail between his claws in painful looking loops. Macaria stood her ground and the imps exchanged uneasy, panicked glances. Thanatos tugged Hypnos by the elbow over to where Macaria was standing, and the five of them stood in a jittery semi-circle; Macaria glowering at Pain and Panic, Pain and Panic glancing from each other to the twins, Hypnos staring at the imps, and Thanatos standing, arms folded, with a casual, neutral expression on his face.

"Look," he began after a few seconds of awkward silence, "if it's really that much of a big deal, we'll go. Okay? Okay." He focused his eyes on the imps, who stared back wide-eyed. "No need to get Hades involved," Thanatos assured them and started to tug on him again. "C'mon, Hypnos, let's not get in more trouble." Hypnos sighed in relief again, so, so thankful that he had gotten through to him (mentally, somehow), but all of a sudden Macaria's scowling face faltered. It broke as she spun around on her heels to face them.

"You can't leave. It's okay, I promise. Don't leave." Thanatos and Hypnos turned and glanced at her and saw she had completely forgotten about the bewildered imps standing behind her back. Macaria had unclenched her fists and was cooling down, focused more on keeping her new friends here than preventing Pain and Panic from kicking them out. "You said we were friends," she further pressed, and although Thanatos merely sighed, Hypnos broke into a guilty expression and twisted free of his twin.

"We are, we are," he reassured hurriedly, down at her level. Macaria's frown stayed put and he continued, trying to be as nice as possible, "Just… your… dad doesn't… want us here, and—and we don't want to get in trouble…"

"You're my friends." Maci's voice was stubborn. "You can stay if you're my friends."

"Um, no, they really can't!" Pain and Panic cried in unison. Macaria completely ignored them. Hypnos winced, noticing that she was getting more and more upset at the mere mention of them leaving. He shot Thanatos a quick, quick glare, hoping that he'd catch onto his thought again—them leaving would crush Maci, they were probably the only friends she'd really had and she cared about them already…

"Maybe… maybe you can come to our house," Hypnos started uneasily and was somehow aware of Thanatos' heavy glare on his back, "Just so we won't get in trouble, by staying here—"

"You do _not_ have permission to kidnap the Princess again," scowled Pain and Hypnos shrank back a little, again deathly afraid of getting in trouble.

"I don't want to kidnap her, I just don't want her to be upset," Hypnos explained in a small voice. Thanatos rolled his eyes and stepped forwards, yanking him up by the blond hair.

"We're already causing a whole lot of trouble, Hypnos, let's just get out of here," Thanatos sighed. Macaria scowled at Pain and Panic, the imps scowled at the twins, and Hypnos pouted at Thanatos.

"You're making her upset! C'mon, she's just a little kid, Thanatos, please…"

"So? We'll see her tomorrow or something. Look, don't know about you, but I'd like to avoid a run-in with the Lord and Lady of the Underworld." Thanatos scowled. Hypnos flinched instinctively and Thanatos continued icily, "We wouldn't look good as charcoal _or_ weeds, Hypnos."

"But you said we were friends!" Maci cried again. Hypnos' guilty expression became guiltier, but Thanatos just scowled and scowled and scowled.

After what seemed like a very long time, he sighed, most likely sick of Hypnos's grief-stricken expression, ran red fingers through his black hair, and turned back to Macaria. He kneeled in front of her and tried to speak as patiently as he could, the scowl wiped off of his face.

"Macaria, look, I know you don't… know it, but… your… mommy and daddy, they don't like visitors…"

Hypnos fidgeted, nervously wondering how long it'd take before the King and Queen picked up on all the commotion downstairs.

"…and we do really have to leave, Macaria, we don't want to get in trouble, you must know what it's like to be in trouble…"

Pain and Panic exchanged glances, and shrunk down to a pair of pink and green mice. They had scampered up the stairs before anyone even noticed they had changed form.

"…I'm sorry, _really_, I am, but we're going to have to leave now so your mommy and daddy don't… uh, get mad and… do something… bad to me and Hypnos—you wouldn't want that to happen to your friends, right?"

Macaria softened at the sincerity (was it sincerity or just an attempt at a quick getaway? Hypnos couldn't even tell), a small pout still on her childish face. "Daddy won't get mad," she insisted anyway, but, thankfully, she didn't sound as temper tantrum ready as she had.

"Whaddya know, he _is_ good with kids," Hypnos mused to himself, under his breath.

"We'll just be going, okay? And then maybe we can… uh, hang out tomorrow." Thanatos looked just as relieved as Hypnos. He stood up and glanced at his brother, "Alright, let's blow this pita stand—"

"There! There they are! The intruders!" screeched Panic, literally tumbling down the stairs in a nervous frenzy, and Pain tumbled right down with him, adding enthusiastically, "The _kidnappers_!"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah… believe me, if Maci didn't want to be kidnapped, no-one could force her otherwise," came a sarcastic voice from the stairs, much less rushed as footsteps and smoke became clearer, "I swear, this is _the last time_ I'm ever letting you two have caffeine."

"We swear we're not exaggerating, Your Shadiness!" cried Panic, and pointed a spindly turquoise finger at the twins, who were suddenly frozen, wide-eyed, at the spot.

And then there he was, the Lord of the Dead himself, blue fire and all, smoking robes and all, menacing air of terror and all—looking pissy. He folded his arms, glared at the imps while flushing orange for just a moment, and then switched his gaze to Hypnos and Thanatos. He crooked an eyebrow, pursed his lips, and cocked his long face to one side.

_

* * *

What. The. Hell,_ thought Hades, feeling his temperature start to boil. What the hell was his daughter doing with random teenagers in his palace? _Why_ the hell hadn't his minions gotten rid of the random teenagers in his palace?

Most importantly, _WHAT_ THE _HELL_ WERE RANDOM TEENAGERS DOING IN HIS PALACE?

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Whoa, whoa, whoa. Whoa. Time. Out," said Hades, making a time out symbol with his long, grey fingers. The two random teenagers didn't move, only stared, and Hades suddenly observed that they looked very much alike—and had many characteristics that all, or at least most, of Nyx's brats shared. He changed his rant in his head and went down the new path.

"So, lemme just get this straight; your mom, right, ran out of room for her spawn at _her_ place, so she's moving them all into mine now?" Hades glowered and the blond-haired-blue-eyed twin quivered in place, while the red one stayed put: frozen, but put.

_Oh my _gods._ I've got the Nightmare Pair in my freakin' house._ The realization hit him hard and Hades blinked, and then flared explosive orange at them both. The house was going to come crashing down around his pointed ears. Bad enough with little accident prone Maci, but now them, too? Oy vey.

"Why don'tcha just run along and play dolls with your six million brothers and sisters or whatever," Hades snarled, taking a step closer, a fireball forming in his hand, "That means _outta_ my house, _outta_ my hallway; kindly just go back and sit in your cave. Kay? Kay." He didn't mind Nyx at all; she and Erebus were two of the few gods he really could tolerate. It was her multitude of children that annoyed him. They were just… everywhere. Especially the almost legendary Nightmare Pair, who were famous for going around and pissing off gods, goddesses, Titans, demons, destroying peoples' property… Hades didn't know how much of the rumors were true, but either way there was a risk of his palace crumbling to dust, a scythe being thrust into someone's eye, or feathers being scattered all over the floor. Or likewise. His place, it wasn't the neatest, but only his family was allowed to mess it up.

They hadn't moved, had just stood and stared at him dumbly, the blond/blue one still trembling, wide-eyed, and the black/red one just standing, wide-eyed. He felt another pulse of rage and exploded in a bath of orange light: "_WOULDYA GET OUT ALREADY?"_

"_DAD!"_

Hades froze mid-explosion, still all flared up. With his arms extended, flames crawling down his back, and a fireball ready in his hands, he looked down at his daughter, who was standing before him, a little ball of fire herself.

"YOU'RE EMBARRASSING ME DAD STOP!" She yelled in one breath, all in one loud tone. Hades stared and actually extinguished out of surprise, quite taken aback.

…how did one… respond to that?

Pain and Panic were staring, just as taken aback. The twins, who had started to back away and leave, had stopped in their tracks and were trying to hide snickers by covering their mouths.

Hades stared, dumbfounded, at Macaria. Her fists were clenched at her sides, and she looked absolutely, positively furious.

"…..oh, c'mon now," he scoffed, attempting to patch over his moment of bewilderment, "Maci, babe, kiddo, ya can't just bring random people here. Against the rules, ya know?"

Persephone had suddenly appeared in a burst of pink and was standing by the sidelines, giving the twins a skeptical onceover and inquiring the imps as to what was going on. Pain and Panic, glancing eagerly from the Lady to the Lord and Princess, filled her in quickly, and Hades and Maci didn't even notice her arrival.

Hades' explanation didn't budge Maci in the slightest. Her hair flaring as wildly as her father's had been, she clenched her fangs together and hissed tightly, "I don't _CARE_, they're my _FRIENDS_!"

Hades glared over her head at the twins, still standing and sniggering, then glared back at his daughter.

"Yeah, sucks for you. So sorry. Your friends, they kinda ain't allowed in here; especially not _those_ two."

"Why?" she demanded, and her temperature rose. Hades felt his own temperature rising and grit his own fangs. The two looked almost identical, if you put the height, gender, and facial differences aside.

"Be_cause_ I'm in charge here, and I say they gotta go."

"But they're my _friends_!"

"Yeah, I don't really _care!"_

* * *

This was kind of beyond awkward, Hypnos felt.

Here he was—here _they_ were—awkwardly standing in the hallway of Hades and Persephone's palace, watching Hades and his daughter argue. Over… them.

"He hasn't done anything to you guys, right?" said a sudden female voice next to him, hand on his shoulder, and Hypnos jumped and turned, automatically yawning. There was the Queen herself, wincing slightly and still looking exasperated while Hades and Macaria fought (_Oh my gods, the Lord of the Dead is fighting with a six year old,_ Hypnos thought, and giggled hysterically in his head), one tall flaming ball of fire against a very short one. Persephone sighed and added, "He's just a… private person. He's not fond of guests. And…well, he's not exactly a fan of Nyx's kids, either."

"Uh… no, he hasn't touched us," Thanatos answered after a period of more awkward silence, thankfully; Hypnos found himself tongue-tied as he wondered what exactly they should be doing in her presence…Bowing? Kneeling? …Leaving?

"We would've left but we didn't want to make Macaria upset," Thanatos continued rather hastily, and Persephone held up a glowing pink hand.

"It's fine. I don't care… it's good to see her finally socializing." Persephone rolled her eyes, "Just ignore Hades. I'll talk to him about it—" She cut off suddenly and stared at her husband and daughter, then added, irritated, "—before he fireballs his six year old daughter into a wall… HADES." The last part was, of course, directed to said husband and Hades blinked and extinguished, taking a step back from the still flaming Princess.

"She started it!" he said indignantly. Hypnos and Thanatos snickered again, and Persephone groaned and smacked a hand to her own forehead.

"Hades, leave her alone, if she's making friends, that's a good thing," Persephone said dryly, and twisted her wrist in a warning gesture as he started to protest. The ground rumbled very slightly as plants began to twist and squirm under the floor.

"Then she can socialize _outside_ of the palace, or perhaps find some less accident prone friends," said Hades, scowling.

"We're not accident-prone! Well, I'm not," Hypnos interjected sulkily. Hades glared daggers at him and the ground rumbled threateningly again.

Persephone put her hand on Hades' shoulder, grabbed the fabric of his chiton, and used it to yank him down so she could whisper in his ear, "Hades, _be nice_. These are the first friends she's had, ever, and I'm not letting you ruin this for her. Got it?" Hades glared at her, but a sharper glare from Persephone wiped the glare from his face.

He sighed, annoyed, but giving in. Glowering once more at Hypnos and Thanatos, rolling his eyes at the cooled down, triumphant Macaria, he signaled for Pain and Panic, and the three of them disappeared.

"…um… so… should we, um, leave?" said Hypnos uneasily and took a hesitant step back. Macaria opened her mouth to protest and Persephone quickly cut in.

"No, no, no, no, you can stay as long as you want. Both of you. I'll go talk to Nyx and let her know that I have the two of you, and…" Persephone glanced back up the stairs and added, "Just steer clear of Hades, sometimes he doesn't listen to me when I tell him not to hurt people."

* * *

"Living example," said Persephone, and touched a pink finger to Hercules's mortal skin, sighing.

* * *

"Told you it's okay," said Maci happily, seemingly forgetting the chaos that had _just_ taken place, and she skipped forwards and grabbed each of their hands, "It's okay, right, mommy?"

"Of course it is. You go play with your new friends," Persephone answered and waved as she dragged them off. Catching the twin's eyes as they glanced back at her, slightly panicked, she raised an eyebrow and mouthed, hands on her hips, 'Be nice, or I'm getting Nyx over here.' Hypnos winced a little and Thanatos scowled, both now completely under the younger goddess's mercy.

* * *

"You make it sound like she's going to torture them or something," said Meg, arching an eyebrow while Hercules giggled.

"Well, she made them play dolls with her. To a thirteen year old boy, that _is_ torture," said Persephone, and shrugged one shoulder. She was starting to drop her hostile attitude, getting more and more into the story as it went on.

"And Hades was okay with… random teenagers lurking in his palace?" Hercules questioned, also raising an eyebrow, and Persephone allowed herself a dry smirk.

"No, not at all. I had to persuade him to at least leave her, and them, alone… Nyx and Erebus, on the other hand, were glad that Thanatos was finally making a friend."

"And Hypnos," corrected Meg.

Persephone paused and pursed her lips. "No… just Thanatos. Hypnos was okay with friendship on his own." She paused again. "Thanatos was… _is_ a different story."

Hercules laughed. "That antisocial, huh?"

Persephone cracked a smile. A very, very small one. "Yeah." Pause. "Very antisocial."

* * *

"So why does this make you so mad?" Persephone asked Hades, sitting on their black bed and watching him pace firey circles in their room. The twins had been sent home and hour ago to a very pleased Nyx, and an equally as pleased Macaria had been sent to bed— after sharing every detail of her playdate with her parents.

"I do not like _teenagers_ frolicking around my palace," fumed Hades, "like it's some sort of… of playground."

"Hades, they're her friends." She sighed and tapped her fingers absently against the bedspread. "Hypnos and Thanatos are a lot better than some of Nyx's other kids. And, Hades, I hope you realize that Maci's gonna be a teenager one day, too."

Hades froze and scowled at the thought— whether it was the thought of some of Nyx's other kids being in the palace, or the thought of Maci being a teen that made him scowl, Persephone didn't know— and fell onto the bed besides her with a sigh. She inched a tiny bit away from his flaming hair and repositioned herself next to him.

"She's got friends, Hades… that's a _good_ thing."

"Well, she can have her friends outside of here, just so nothing expensive gets destroyed." He shuddered and flared up. "Can you imagine if one of them got their grubby little hands on my chessboard? _Jeez_…"

"Hades, they're not infants. They're teenagers; responsible, respectable teenagers."

"HA."

"Seriously."

"Ha," Hades repeated, "Ha, ha, and _ha_."

Persephone rolled her eyes and sat up, folding her arms and suddenly inquiring, "Would it bother you as much if her first friends were girls?"

Complete and total silence at Hades' end.

Persephone tried her best to hide a snicker, failed, and outright laughed, flopping back on the bed as he turned and gave her a dirty look.

"That's not _it¸_Seph, gimme a break," Hades finally said sulkily, "I'd be just as upset if she was hanging out with a pair of Nyx's daughters, I just don't like them in general…"

"Nyx's kids populate half of the Underworld, Hades, who else is she gonna hang out with?" Persephone gave him a look. "Would you rather have her with one of Eris's kids?" The goddess of chaos had her own brood, and they were a concentrated group of pure troublemakers who only held residence in Tartarus. In comparison, even the worst of Nyx's kids were a walk in the park.

She continued, "Anyway, Maci's only six years old. If gender is really what's bothering you… gimme a break, Hades, she's _six_. You absolutely, do not need to worry about dating and boys right now."

"I'm _not_," he insisted darkly. Persephone rolled her eyes again, not believing him for a second.

"Whatever. Look, if that's really not it, then you shut your mouth the next time they're together."

"…_next time_?"

"If they want to come over again, then I'm letting them."

"_No._"

"No?"

"Hey, today was a close enough call," Hades scowled. Again. "I'm kinda not so hot about risking, oh, y'know, all of our possessions…again."

Persephone patted his forehead and settled back against the forehead, already wearing a triumphant smile. "Well, that's too bad. You're welcome to hide in our room while our daughter socializes, but I'm not preventing a single person from coming over if they, or she, so chooses."

"Ugh," said Hades.

"Too bad," Persephone repeated cheerfully and closed the conversation.

* * *

"Boy, I can't wait to see him when she actually does start dating," Hercules joked, and Persephone snickered softly.

* * *

~Author's Note~ Sorry for a chapter delay (drama club, hellweek, November was a busy month.) and for a shorter chapter length then the last few chapters... beh. Enjoy. :3

Please remember to review!

EDIT 3/12/11: Hey guys! I haven't forgotten about this story as some of you must be inclined to believe. On the contrary, I've been working on the next chapter as much as I can, but school and extracurricular activities have been taking up my time. I promise I will update as soon as I can: I have so much more planned for this story, and I'm not going to abandon it just because real life has gotten busy! I urge you to bear with me and to sit tight; the next chapter will be uploaded ASAP!


	23. Part 23: Chapter XXII

**_This _Persephone, Macaria, Hypnos, Thanatos, Erebus, Nyx, Oizys, and Aia are MINE. Anyone who uses them without my permission gets thrown in the Phlegethon River.**

**Everything/everyone else belongs to Disney. Use 'em at your own risk.**

**_Little Miss Flames and Flowers_**

Chapter XXII: Just Some School Stuff.

"So," Hypnos inquired cheerfully, "What do you think of her?"

"Of who?" Thanatos didn't look up from his spot on the floor. In front of the red and black god was a square of dirt, and, with his fingers, he was carefully scraping out tiny graves for little wooden peg-people.

"Of Maci," Hypnos answered, his voice still cheerful.

"Oh. I dunno." He stuck a chip of stone in place as a tombstone and wiped his hands on his chiton. "She's… nice."

"I like her, too. She's cute," said Hypnos, either not picking up on Thanatos's indifference or purposely not acknowledging it.

"Mm, I guess." Thanatos began scraping out another grave, tossing his black hair out of his face, "Clingy, but… cute." Hypnos caught a glimpse of a scowl, and a flash of rolling eyes, but didn't call him out on it.

"I think Hades and Persephone liked us," Hypnos went on, smiling, "And that's good, right? We won't get in trouble for intruding now."

"Mm."

"Whoa, whoa, when did you meet Hades and Persephone?" Nyx exclaimed, appearing with a flash of temporary darkness, which quickly faded. On her hip she balanced a quietly sobbing grey infant—another younger sister in Nyx and Erebus's brood (Oizys was her name, the future goddess of misery). The two looked up, wide-eyed, like owls, and Hypnos explained hastily, "We met their daughter, she took us home with her and we met Hades and Persephone, too—"

"We're not in trouble. Relax," cut Thanatos and returned to his mini-grave digging.

Nyx glanced between the nodding, agreeing Hypnos, and the nonchalant, uninterested Thanatos. She raised a dark blue eyebrow.

"Well," she said finally, "I'm glad you're making friends."

* * *

"C'mon Cerbie! C'mon puppy! Get the bone! Get the bone!" Macaria cried, barely lifting a gigantic bone twice her size off the ground.

Cerberus wagged his tail expectantly, three tongues lolling out of three big heads.

"Go get it!" the now seven year old godling squealed, and gave the bone a mighty heave with all her strength. It moved about half a centimeter, rolling backwards and almost crushing her little pink toes. But Cerberus reacted all the same, jumping around excitedly, and eventually clamping his impressive teeth around the bone and dropping it again at Maci's feet. The force from its impact propelled her back, nearly sending her spiraling into the air.

"Good puppy! ...puppies!" Macaria said happily, clapping her hands and digging her heels into the ground. Cerberus bowed his heads, drooling, and Macaria gave him his expected pat. "Wanna go again?" Maci grinned, "Let's go again! C'mon, Cerbie! C'mon puppies!" Cerberus barked and pranced around in anticipation. Macaria gave the bone another not-shove and watched Cerberus's heads argue over it.

Persephone had given her permission to frolic about the Underworld, provided she come straight home afterwards for "an important talk" that was apparently so important, it had to cut into her playtime. Other than that, Macaria had every intention to spend the day all by her lonesome. She had turned seven just last week and had since been instilled with a happy, joyful feeling of responsibility. Unless the twins came over—and there was always a chance they would, as the three had become quite close friends—little Maci's day was all hers.

Cerberus triple-yipped and Maci looked up to see the gigantic hellpuppy holding the matching gigantic bone in his triumphant middle head. The other two heads were whimpering pitifully, ears flat against their skulls. A steady puddle of doggy drool had formed under his feet.

With a spectacular thump, Cerberus dumped the bone on the ground and wagged his tail, pawing at the dirt.

"I really love dogs," Macaria suddenly remarked to a passing shade, who was giving Cerberus an uneasy look as it exited Charon's barge, "Daddy doesn't like animals much and mommy only likes plants but Pain and Panic talked them into getting Cerbie lots of years ago and he's my dog and I love him and I— oh, fine, I'll ignore you, too!" Macaria spun on her heel to ignore the shade who was already ignoring her, and scowled in Charon's direction.

"You keep picking up rude souls, you _jerk_," she said crossly to him.

"Sorry, next time I'll try to only pick up the ones with the most charming demeanors," the ferryman replied dryly, herding the last few shades off of his boat.

"I don't 'ppreciate your sarcasm!" Maci huffed, well trained enough in the art herself to tell when it was in use. She turned back to Cerberus, who was beginning to emit a high pitched whining sound.

"Ferrymen, who needs 'em," she grumbled to the dog, who barked excitedly and possibly agreeably out of his left head. Maci grasped the bone and tried again to throw it.

It was hard to enjoy a game of fetch when the thing being fetched was twice the size of your body. With helpful intentions in mind, the three headed beast picked it up easily and waited expectantly for Maci to take it from his mouth. She simply gave the bone a sad onceover.

"Throw the bone, Cerbie, I'm going home," she commented, and started to walk back to the palace. Cerberus, tail flicking back and forth in excitement, twirled around and gave the bone a big, strong toss. It landed smack in the middle of Charon's boat—sending him hurtling up towards the cavernous ceiling, only to hit into it and plummet back down with a huge splash.

"_YOU STUPID BRATTY KID!_" Charon howled, swatting away the sliming shades grasping at him and trying at the same time to grab back his bag of sweet, golden drachmas from the murky waters of the Styx. Maci didn't turn, only quickened her pace with the trace of a smirk forming on her lips.

* * *

"And then Charon's boat flipped over and he went _FSHEWWW-_" Macaria threw her arms up in the air and mimed Charon's tumble "—and then he came down and landed in the river with a big SPLASH!" Macaria brought her arms down and jumped in the air, ponytail bobbing. "It was so funny! You guys shoulda seen it. You shoulda been there!" She plopped down on the floor and sat cross-legged in eager anticipation, playing with the straps of her sandals. Persephone rolled her eyes, and Hades grinned steadily, bringing a hand to his heart in a gesture of dramatic pride.

"Atta girl, no-one messes with the Underworld's princess, eh?" Hades beamed, leering at the aforementioned royalty. Macaria smirked under the shower of satisfactory affection.

"That's right!" Maci sing-songed cheerfully, "Show 'em who's boss, just like you do, right dad, right?"

Hades' smirk stretched, looking like it was about to fall off the confines of his face. "Right," he echoed, "Very right." He could see it in his head—a legacy of mini-Hades', with a flaming Macaria at the head of the line.

"A_hem_," Persephone folded her arms. She tapped her fingers against her arm impatiently and continued, "If you're both done being sadistic psychos, I actually do have something to talk about… _we_ actually do have something to talk about… isn't that right, Hades?" She frowned as this elicited no response. "Ha_des._" Persephone leaned over and elbowed him.

Hades snapped out of pleasant daydreams of him and Macaria burning Olympus to the ground.

"What, whaddya want?" Hades snapped irritably, his hair flaring up and extinguishing in a rush as Persephone's glare darkened. He blinked, and then slumped comfortably back in his throne, commenting idly, "What, the school thing? Right, right, I gotcha, I gotcha…"

Persephone looked suddenly alarmed. "No, Hades, don't-" she started to interject but it was too late. Macaria's smile had already been wiped off her face, and the little goddess's expression had become one of sullen suspicion.

"—ugh," Persephone finished in a groan, and clapped a hand to her forehead. Hades' mouth ran quicker than his mind, and it was so especially irritating when she had specifically drummed into his head previously this morning that they were going to go about things carefully and slowly. So much for that. Hades had realized his mistake too late, shot Persephone a quick sheepish grin, and started to stand up to make a quick exit. Persephone sighed mentally, considered the risk of having him run his mouth and ruin yet another thing, decided it wasn't too big, and yanked him back down by his chiton sleeve. "Oh no you don't," she hissed, "You got me into this, you're sticking with me." Hades opened his mouth to give her a snarky reply, but their daughter cut them off.

"What school thing?" Macaria inquired slowly, her eyes flashing yellow on the verge of a temper tantrum. Persephone gave Hades the dirtiest look she could muster and slowly got to her feet. She crossed to Maci and knelt to her level, hiding a wince as she felt the godling's temperature surge.

"Maci… you remember when you went to kindergarten for a… little while, hm? All those different schools?" Persephone smiled convincingly and took Maci's little hands in hers. "That was really fun, wasn't it?"

"No," said Macaria.

"Of course it was fun, Seph, mortals roast like marshmallows," Hades remarked, hands folded behind his head on his throne. A smirk flickered across Macaria's face. Persephone scowled and looked over her shoulder to him. "Don't even," she groaned. She was getting exasperated. _Zeus-dammit, Hades, be serious for once in your immortal life! _she thought, irritated.

Hades pursed his lips and sent his yellow eyes skywards, slowly rising from his throne to join her. Persephone blinked, and then scooted over to allow him room in front of Maci, thinking to herself that perhaps she had telepathy or something…

"Maci, kiddo, babe, look, as much as we appreciate you runnin' around and sticking our denizens in their place, ya can't _just_ do that. Once in a while, 'kay, that's great. Every single day of the rest a' your life? Yeah, not gonna work," he said smoothly. Macaria didn't look very convinced as her face settled into a stubborn pout. Persephone took his lead and explained patiently, "You're old enough to start second grade now. There's no reason why you shouldn't be going and getting an education. Even as a goddess and a princess, it's good for you to do this… and besides," Persephone pursed her lips, "not for nothing, but you need the social experience, too." Though Hypnos and Thanatos had been accepted into Maci's previously nonexistent circle of friends, the little goddess' social skills could still stand to be polished.

"I didn't like it. It's not fun at all," Macaria responded flatly after a pause, nodded as if the matter was settled, and turned to leave. Persephone caught her by the hem of her black chiton and tugged her back.

"Maci, this isn't up for discussion," Persephone said. Macaria didn't even hesitate in her response: "Then why do you keep asking me questions about it?"

Hades couldn't and didn't bother to hide his smirk. "Ooh, she's got ya there," he snickered, and looked suddenly sheepish again, "Sorry, sorry… I know, not helping." Persephone rolled her eyes.

"Look, Maci," Persephone went on. She willed Hades to be quiet for just a few moments. "Just give things a try. You're older now. You'll be going to a whole new different place. With different people. It'll be totally different." Maci opened her mouth in protest but Persephone jumped to cut her off, "Macaria, this is a settled matter."

Maci blinked at the use of her full name. Her skin, which had become the color of coral as she was in a mid-point between staying calm and exploding—combining her pink with a temperamental orange—flushed back to rose. She slumped, knowing defeat, and shot her parents a dirty, wounded look. 'You're killing me here,' her eyes seemed to dramatically say, and she turned and strode off sulkily, yanking Pain and Panic off with her by their tails.

"Coulda been worse," Hades shrugged and treated Persephone to a lopsided smirk. Seph leaned on him and ignored a rising feeling of dread, as the back of her mind estimated how much wreckage an older, smarter Macaria would inflict on a gathering of second grade mortals.

* * *

"This is gonna be so _stupid_," Macaria griped. She bounced a miniscule, barely contained fireball in her palm and scowled. Sprawled on her bed was half-asleep Hypnos, leaning against a bedpost was Thanatos, and Pain and Panic skittered nervously between the three adolescents.

"I don't _need_ another 'scuse for me to get in trouble!" she cried and slammed the fireball against the floor. It fizzled to an extinguish, sparks popping, "I don't even like mortals, anyway."

"It could be fun," Panic offered helpfully, trying to persuade her on behalf of Hades and Persephone.

"Or it could not," Thanatos supplied unhelpfully, "I suggest you just… don't go."

"Nuh-uh," Macaria rolled her eyes, forming another fireball in her hand. "Where would I go instead?" she asked flatly.

"Anywhere." Thanatos shrugged, tossing his hair away from his face at the same time. He continued wryly, looking down at her, "Just walk around. Explore Greece. I hear Corinth is lovely this time of year."

"Oh, no, Hades would throw a fit," Pain said quickly, looking uneasy, and Panic hastily added, "Or Persephone. Or both of them." Knowing the fit would be directed at them instead of their precious daughter, they both shuddered.

"I already told them I didn't wanna go," Macaria pointed out, a trace of a smirk forming on her face, "they should _know_ I'd get out of it."

"You're gonna get in trouble," Hypnos's voice suddenly mumbled. Maci started and looked over in his direction, not even knowing he had been awake.

"Yes!" cried Panic gratefully, "Yes, listen to him. Maci, listen to your friend."

"As your imps and caretakers, we command you to," said Pain.

"Sure, listen to them and find yourself doing everything your parents and everyone else want you to for the rest of your life," Thanatos said calmly, "You'll be a puppet your whole life. If you don't break the mold early on, you'll never be free."

Pain and Panic sent him a dirty, despairing look.

"…You didn't go to school. Did you? Did any of you?" Macaria looked around her skeptically, balancing another fireball.

"Who, us?" Hypnos asked, and sat up, stifling a yawn. "Uh… no." Thanatos also shook his head.

"We already know everything, that's why," Hypnos grinned teasingly and Thanatos smirked similarly.

"Imps don't go to school," muttered Pain and Panic in synchrony. They could already tell the battle was being lost…

"See," Maci concluded triumphantly to them, and they both groaned. "Just 'cuz I'm a Princess, I have to be treated different? _You_ should all be goin' to school and I should stay home eating pom'grants and candy."

"Why are you encouraging her?" hissed Panic to the twins, who exchanged similar uninterested glances. Neither cared much for the imps—Hades had only agreed to let the two teens hang around the palace if Pain and Panic "kept an eye on them." It was like being followed around by a pair of clumsy failures. Actually, it was exactly like that.

Pain swatted Panic away and attempted to try and talk some sort of sense into an already scheming Macaria.

"Listen, Your… Most Tiny Flamefulness, "he began slowly, twisting his tail in his claws, "Uh… this, uh… probably isn't the best idea…" His tail was becoming riddled with knots. "If you get caught, you'll be in big trouble," Panic jumped in, "Big, big trouble."

"Really big trouble."

"Huge trouble!"

"I can do it," Macaria said easily.

"Uhhhh," Pain said, looking very uneasy himself.

"Maybe… maybe you could try it and see how you like it!" Panic jumped in again, "It could be fun—"

"No."

"She already _did_ try it," Thanatos rolled his eyes on her behalf, folding his arms and straightening up, "And she didn't like it." Smirking at the pair, he went on smoothly, "Don't you two want to make your Princess happy?"

"Stop making problems," Hypnos whined and sat up. Hypnos scowled at Thanatos, and said almost pleadingly, "Maci, don't listen to a word he says. Be a good girl."

"Yes!" cried Pain and Panic in desperate unison. Macaria extinguished her current fireball and formed a new one, looking surprisingly thoughtful for a seven year old.

"Puppet strings," Thanatos simply reminded, and shrugged, falling silent.

"Stop causing trouble!" Pain, Panic, and Hypnos exploded in perfect synchrony. Macaria paid them no attention, and Thanatos blinked, looking taken aback. "I'm not causing trouble," he protested, "I'm just stating my honest opinions. She has a right to both sides of the story, doesn't she? Right, Macaria?" Maci paused, looked up, and nodded indignantly in the imps' direction.

"I _can_ do it," Macaria smiled matter-of-factly, and declared the matter to be closed.

* * *

Two months later, the halls of the Underworldian palace echoed with Hades' raucous laughter.

Aia looked uncomfortable, and the nymph adjusted her floor length blue chiton as she waited for Hades to stop cackling. She kept her clear blue eyes cast respectfully downwards, while Persephone, at Hades' side, maintained a look of growing exasperation on her face.

"Oh my gods," he wheezed finally, still giggling, and crowed, "She's a delinquent at seven!"

Aia dared to glance upwards, and held a wavering eye contact with Macaria's parents. While the matter was somewhat of a crisis, she could certainly understand Hades' hysteria. Being able to pull off a two-month-long school cut without being caught, at just seven years old, was pretty damn impressive. If Aia hadn't ventured cautiously down to the Underworld to inquire just when Macaria was going to start attending her classes, they might never have found out.

"This really isn't funny," said Persephone through tightly gritted teeth, her hand clenched tight on the arm of Hades' throne.

Snickering, Hades twiddled his fingers, commenting, "I just can't believe she—jeez Louise, she's a tiny evil genius. Jeez. _Jeez._" The Lord of the Dead sat up, shook his head in amused disbelief again, then did an abrupt personality change and bellowed, "_PAIN! PANIC!_ GET YER BUTTS OVER HERE AND BRING LITTLE MISS DELINQUENT WITH YOU!"

"I'm very sorry about this whole mess," said Aia politely, "If you'd rather I come back another time-"

"Oh, hey, hey, don't sweat it, babe, totally not your fault," Hades said smoothly. His tone directly betrayed his demeanor, as his hair had turned orange and was rising spectacularly over his shoulders and back, "Why dontcha just make yourself at home and we'll be _just_ an eensy minute longer—PAIN, PANIC, I SAID _GET! IN! HERE!_"

With little pops of smoke, a flustered looking Pain and Panic appeared, clutching bewildered looking Macaria between them. Observing Persephone's deeply set scowl and Hades' explosion-in-the-makings, they scrambled back against the door and ducked for the oncoming blow.

Carelessly waving her hand, Persephone enveloped both her and Aia in two large, violet, fireproof tulips while Hades scorched the throne room. As the temperature cooled, the two blossoms unfolded and shrunk back into the ground. Pain and Panic coughed and reformed from piles of ash with eyes back into imps.

"Sooo," Hades said dryly, tapping his long fingers against each other as his hair flashed from red to orange to blue to another cycle and another, "_Who_ would like to explain to me just how it escaped our _ever_ so watchful eyes that our darling Princess had failed to attend a single class of second grade for _two_ _months_?"

Macaria blinked, and looked guiltily sheepish.

"…maybe you… just need to be a little more observan— AAH!" Pain started to suggest but cut off with a scream; he collapsed, newly singed, on the floor in a dazed stupor.

"Macaria, have you just been wandering Greece all by yourself every single day?" cut Persephone, an element of horror in her voice. They'd be the laughingstocks of Olympus, once everyone got over how annoyingly clever Macaria was. The big bad Lord and Lady of the Underworld, letting their little godling daughter wander, unsupervised, around, and them not even _knowing_ about it until her teacher had come and asked why Maci hadn't started classes yet? Even with just the thought in her head, Persephone thought that it made her and Hades sound ridiculous.

And she especially knew that the last thing Hades wanted was to be known as ridiculous.

They'd be labeled so irresponsible; even as a goddess, a seven year old shouldn't have been allowed to just _go_ off on her own!

"I wasn't by myself," Maci said, fidgeting in place, "I made Pain and Panic come."

"….did you now." Hades' sharp glare became even more sharpened. Pain and Panic twittered nervously, wide grins spreading sheepishly across their faces.

"And you didn't _tell _us about this?" Persephone demanded, her voice rising. The two imps shrugged, grinning still.

"Well, y'know, we figured things would sort themselves out," squeaked Panic nervously, and Pain added, "And we tried to talk her out of it!"

"I told you I didn't want to go to school," said Macaria stubbornly.

Persephone simply rose from her throne, grabbed Maci's arm, and dragged her out of the room. A triumphant smirk was forming on the miniscule goddess' face. Calling out from outside the throneroom, Persephone yelled to Hades, "_This war will not be won by our seven year old daughter!_" and Hades tapped his fingers together, nodding curtly and agreeably. His hair still flared erratically.

"…so… we're _so_ sorry about this," Hades suddenly purred to Aia, and he stood up from his marble throne, his chiton sweeping the floor behind him, "You _know_ how kids are, what with their… shenanigans and all. Y'know how it is." He shrugged nonchalantly. "An_y_w_ay_, we'll have this sticky lil' situation fixed up in no time, and then, hey, babe, you just give us a ring if there's another _issue_—don't be shy, just come on right down— I promise, we don't bite unless ya ask us to." Hades shot another furious glare at Pain and Panic from over his shoulder, then smirked sweetly and ushered Aia out the door.

* * *

Macaria reluctantly started going to school and reluctantly started to enjoy herself a little, too. She made it clear that she wasn't the most popular kid in class ("Mom, no-one likes me and I don't like them." "Dad, everyone's afraid that I'm gonna zap 'em." "Someone asked me why I only wore black, and I damned them to Tartarus." And so forth.) but she still enjoyed having a simple level of interaction in her life.

Of course there were still problems. A disadvantage of going to a mortal school, with actual mortals, was that while the mortals were taught to love and worship Zeus and the Olympians… that didn't exactly fit in with Macaria's gameplan. A disaster could be spotted lurking in the distance the second Macaria came home from school, handed her father a piece of paper, and the following escaped from her mouth: "My teacher said we have to do a project about Zeus. Since he's your brother an' everything, I was wondering if you could help me."

(This resulted in a beseechment home so Aia could explain in patient terms why, under no circumstances, should such vulgar language be allowed to be used as a 'reference' for a school project, and why such visually offensive drawings that appeared to be scorched into the papyrus should not be allowed within a few hundred yards of small children.)

The incident with Maci being caught blatantly copying answers from a classmate's spelling test in the middle of the classroom was also less than commendable, especially not when her only excuse had been, "I'm not copying, we're using teamwork."

Other than these minor incidents and a few more minor incidents every now and then throughout the school year, Macaria had allowed herself to (finally!) submit to the throes of schooling, and (finally), she was doing it without major objection. Though she never quite stopped her troublemaking habits, Hades and Persephone were at least happy to have her show some level of compliancy. When Persephone's six months ran out, Macaria just went back to her cottage after school instead of the Underworldian palace, and things were peaceful, as the godling was no longer bored and thus liable to scorch things. On that note, it was also suitable to point out that most of the children in her second grade class had escaped daily with little more than a few first degree burns on their fingertips and ankles—which was quite an improvement.

And Persephone had to admit that Macaria's delinquency could've been a lot worse, considering just who her father was. And hey, going by the Underworld's standards?—she was a model citizen.

* * *

"I can't believe," said Meg, "that you've gone on and on and on and on and Macaria's only seven years old in the story."

"…your case in point being?" Persephone raised an eyebrow. Meg didn't hesitate in her indignant answer.

"You've told us about almost nothing! There's gotta be something interesting that happens in her life. Sure, it's interesting to hear about Hades's little daughter being… well, being Hades' little daughter, but isn't her backstory more complex? …and I _know_ she's older than seven years old. You don't need to describe each and every year in obnoxiously explicit detail."

"Oh, Meg, she's just telling us a story. It's interesting. Maci's cute and it's interesting," Herc patted her arm soothingly, and Meg just rolled her eyes.

"And what's with Hypnos and Thanatos? What, are they just gonna pop up randomly in every bit you tell us now? We get it, Maci's got a friend, tell us something new."

"If you're going to be so uptight about my storytelling, maybe I'll just go and leave you wallowing in mystery." Persephone pursed her lips, tossing her blonde hair over her shoulder.

Meg settled against her husband, and rolled her eyes yet again. Persephone continued, "And Hypnos and Thanatos are more important than you think. I just haven't _gotten_ there yet. Be patient. I'm trying to go in order. I can't just jump all around and call it a story. Come on."

"Fine," Meg grumbled, "Just get to the good stuff."

"Not that we're not enjoying this part of the story," Hercules quickly spoke up.

Persephone held her hands up in surrender.

"Fine, fine. Forgive me, for thinking that when you ask for a life story, you actually want to hear about their life. Of course not! Silly me. Maybe I'll just add in the 'part' about her fighting ninjas and pirates off the coast of the Aegean Sea. Will that keep your feeble mind amused this whole while?" Persephone shot Meg a simpering smile that made the equally as cynical woman scowl.

"Fine. Whatever." Meg relented with a scoff, "Have it your way. Go right ahead with your nonsensical details."

Hercules just glanced awkwardly between the two, caught in the middle of a sarcasm battle with which he was armed with no weapons.

"I am _working_ my _way_ up to a point," Persephone huffed, "And if your commentary will cease and desist, I'll do a little time jump to make you happy. Here, let's skip to when she's 10 years old."

"Does something relevant happen there?" Megara pressed impatiently.

Persephone thought for a moment, then shrugged. "Well, sorta. But if it's not relevant enough for you—you'll still have the amusement of meeting Nyx and Erebus' family to tide you over," A sarcastic smile was aimed and shot off in Megara's direction, "until all the wonderful festivities begin."

Meg just rolled her eyes.

* * *

~Author's Notes~ ...I'm not sure what I can say that will justify me not updating this story for more than three months. The truth is, at first I was suffering from lack of muse, and once I regained my muse, I became suddenly pressed for time. But here. Here is the update! HERE IT IS! IT'S HERE!

I'm going to try and update more frequently. I'm becoming annoyed with myself for not having started including relevant plotpoints just yet (see, Persephone, Meg's totally right!), and with the next chapter, that's definitely going to start being fixed (thank the gods.)

Aia is just a nymph, whose name means 'town'-somehow, my brain pieced together 'town' as a good fit for 'elementary school teacher', so... there she is. Wheeee.

Also, happy belated spring! Persephone's up on earth now (and yet, here in New York, it's still ridiculously cold.)

Please review me; it makes me happy and inspires me to update faster! XD;


	24. Part 24: Chapter XXIII

**_This _Persephone, Macaria, Hypnos, Thanatos, Erebus, Nyx, and all the other children of Nyx featured in this chapter are MINE. Anyone who uses them without my permission gets thrown in the Phlegethon River.**

**Everything/everyone else belongs to Disney. Use 'em at your own risk.**

**_Little Miss Flames and Flowers_**

Chapter XXIII- Nyx's Kids

Persephone appeared outside of Nyx and Erebus' house, and took a step back, as the outside of the dark and dreary cottage was surrounded by a horde of skeletal workers. Each adorned with a black construction helmet, several of them were installing something into the front wall.

"We're installing a revolving door," Nyx explained, materializing next to Persephone in a flash of black, and Persephone looked at her with a raised eyebrow, "After years of joking about it, we decided it might actually be a good idea."

"Ah," said Persephone, "I see." Even now in the middle of construction, adult members of their brood were ducking in and out of the hole made for the new doorway.

From Persephone's dim shadow on the floor melted Erebus, and the god stood next to his wife in silence, the pair watching the construction workers for a moment before turning to their Queen. "Do you need anything?" Nyx inquired politely, "Is there something wrong?" One of her navy blue wings fluttered absently. The motion sent the stars dotted around her body off twinkling, and Persephone folded her arms casually. "Only if it's not a big deal," she replied with a shrug.

"Name it."

"I was wondering if you had someone on hand to babysit for Maci. Hades and I have a meeting up on Olympus…" She spat the word out and rolled her eyes, perfectly displaying her distaste, "and considering her… less-than-perfect record with the upper-upper world, we thought it'd be better to leave her down here." After a pause, Seph added, "We'd have Pain and Panic do it, but… you know they're… not so competent."

Erebus nodded in agreement and Nyx gave a short laugh. "Of course we have someone. We always have someone."

"Well, that's perfect."

"You don't have anyone in mind, do you?" In the background, the workers fumbled with the massive door and earned themselves a tirade of Greek curses from their comrades.

Persephone hesitated. "…actually… you know how Macaria's only partial to people that she knows…" She shrugged sheepishly. "I was wondering if, maybe, Hypnos and Thanatos could…?" Of course, Persephone still didn't forgive the teenaged god of death for "inspiring" Macaria to cut class for two months (thankfully, Maci's records had stayed almost squeaky clean since that incident three years ago), but it was better than having Maci roast an Olympian, or any other babysitter.

Nyx simply beamed. "Of course they can, and they certainly will."

"If they need convincing, just tell them Hades and I will pay them."

"Nonsense," Nyx scoffed, and ushered Persephone away, "You just go get ready for your meeting and I'll send them over as soon as possible."

* * *

Less than an hour later, Hades and Seph were faced with one very bitter looking seventeen year old and an eternally cheerful, if not a little sleepy, one.

Three years and the pair had shot up like stalks of corn, both nearing 6". Their hair still hung to their shoulders, and Thanatos' still had that greasy look to it like it had had when he was younger. Like two angels, giant feathered wings sprouted from their backs; one set white, the other black.

Macaria sat in the corner, holding a mirror's handle in her teeth as she put her hair up. Her hair had grown, and she herself had gotten taller, but other than that and a transition to a sweeping floor length black chiton, the goddess looked nearly the same. But replacing the girly cheerfulness her voice had held was currently a monotonous sarcasm, and her eyes remained fixed at a cynical half-closed.

"I," she said darkly, dropping the mirror in her lap and making it vanish in a puff of smoke, "am _not_ a baby." Scowling, she concluded, "Therefore, I don't need a _baby_sitter."

"Of course you're not a baby," Hades replied seamlessly, "you're at the ripe old age of ten." Maci rolled her eyes, and Hades continued dryly, "Now why don't you just sit and be good and perhaps share a little of your 'elder wisdom' with your peers."

"Hades, stop teasing her," Persephone scoffed, tying her skull necklace in a tighter knot, and her voice became lighter as she spoke to their daughter, "Remember, Maci, you behave; no roasting, no singeing, no zapping, no frying, and for the love of Zeus leave Pain and Panic alone." The two imps tittered gratefully in the corner.

"Got it." Macaria studied her fingernails, clearly uninterested.

"Glad to see you in such a cheerful mood," drawled Hades sarcastically, and aside to Persephone he hissed irritably, "What's her problem? She looks like she's about to start cutting herself."

"Oh, who knows," Persephone replied nonchalantly in a whisper, sweeping her hair to the side and then reaching out to fix Hades', "It's just a preparation for her undoubtedly angst-filled teenage years, I'm sure."

"That'll be a delight," he responded dryly, and caught her hand in his, casting a glance at Macaria from over his shoulder. "You just keep doin' what you're doin', and it'll all be a-okay," Hades voiced to her, rolling his eyes, and Persephone chimed to the twins, "We'll be back in an hour, provided Zeus doesn't add in any extra stupidity to his usual amount." Sending a quick goodbye wave, Persephone vanished with her husband, and inanimate Macaria suddenly became a lot more animate.

"Thank the gods they're gone, parents are so annoying, aren't they?" Macaria bounced up from her spot on the floor, her face lighting up in a smile that would have appeared very uncharacteristic if it had sprung up just a few minutes earlier, "Oh, they just act like I'm still a godling. I'm not anymore, I'm really not, and I'm almost a teenager, only three more years."

"Why does she reserve the intolerable energy for us?" Panic whined to Pain, and Hypnos and Thanatos redirected their attention to them.

"It's not for you, it's for us," responded Hypnos, Thanatos nodding matter-of-factly. Macaria, overhearing, folded her arms and said dryly, "Does it matter who it's for? Point is, mom and dad are gone, and we've got the whole palace an' the whole Underworld to ourselves."

"Don't ruin anything, please," Pain whined in a gravelly uneasy voice.

"Yes, please don't, I'm getting tired of sweeping things under Hades' throne," Thanatos agreed mildly, sweeping past the younger goddess and scattering a few dark feathers as he did so.

"I don't break things on purpose," Macaria protested, wrinkling her nose in indignation and tagging after Thanatos, "and Mom always said that she didn't like the way she had been painted on those vases, anyway."

"Sure she did," muttered Panic.

"Just please keep the damage to a minimum today," Hypnos pleaded, although his voice barely wavered from its usual high-pitched cheerful tone. Macaria shrugged reluctantly, pursing her lips as she thought it over wryly.

"Whatever," she agreed finally, tossing her hair behind her shoulder, "Now then-" And her tone took on a more business-like quality, "—_what_ oh what should we do today?"

So the five of them settled down in Maci's room, kicking away elaborate jewelry that most 10 year olds didn't own and dark, fancy chitons and dresses made from materials that were hard to find even on Olympus, clearing a spot on the floor at the foot of her black silk adorned bed. The two imps suggested a quiet activity of cards, to which the three youths just rolled their eyes and laughed, and then set into a conversation, with Maci doing most of the talking, a usual occurrence. Finishing her near-monologue with a childish giggle, she folded her hands in her lap, fidgety, and inquired cheerfully, "So what's up with you?" Pain and Panic had chosen to ignore the three and had struck up a game of Go Fish in the corner.

"Not much, same old, same old," Hypnos replied conversationally, stifling a yawn with the back of his pale blue hand, "We're getting some construction done on the house-"

"Our old door was nearly falling off the hinges, anyway," cut Thanatos with a shrug.

"—in preparation for next week." Hypnos grimaced. "There's gonna be a hurricane of gods."

"Why, what's next week?" Macaria questioned, blinking, "A hurricane?"

Hypnos and Thanatos exchanged glances, a shudder passing between the two. "Family reunion of sorts," Hypnos sighed, twiddling his thumbs with an expression of pain on his face, and Thanatos chimed grimly, "Mom's birthday."

"That doesn't seem so bad. I've had birthday parties before. They're not so bad."

"They're horrible when you have 40-plus crazy brothers and sisters." Again, the twins shuddered in unison.

"Some of them aren't so bad, I guess," remarked Thanatos idly.

"For _you_, they're not," Hypnos turned and snapped at him, "But not all of us here get along with crazy people."

Thanatos shrugged.

"It can't be that bad," said Macaria in mild disbelief.

"You don't know who we have to deal with." Ticking off on his fingers, Hypnos began to list, "Gods of doom, misery, violence, insanity, cruelty, pranks, rabies…"

"Rabies!" exclaimed Macaria, blinking twice.

"Oh, yeah, Lyssa. She's a nutcase," Thanatos nodded solemnly,

"Trust us, that's only the beginning of the list."

Macaria's expression changed to one of surprise to a more interested look.

"I wish I had a big family," she commented, shifting positions to lie on her belly with her chin in her hands, "I bet it's really fun to—"

"No, not really," interrupted Hypnos, shuddering for a third time.

"No, but it must be great to have so many—" she tried again, and was again cut off with a flat, "…No," from both of them.

Macaria sat up and folded her arms. "Well, _I _think it'd be fun," the little goddess said huffily, and after a moment's pause asked, "…can I come with you guys?"

"Absolutely not," Panic answered firmly before the twins could even react. The turquoise imp sprung to his scrawny feet, hands on hips, and informed Maci with a scowl, "You _know _Hades can't stand Nyx's kids—" He glared at Hypnos and Thanatos, "—and you _know_ Tartarus is likely to freeze over before he lets you over there in the midst of a god-hurricane," he finished, reusing Hypnos's appropriate metaphor.

"Besides… I was kinda hoping to escape here for the day," Hypnos admitted sheepishly, receiving a blinking glance from Thanatos.

"It's not going to be that bad," Macaria repeated flatly, "Anyway, if I go, you'll have someone to be with."

"…that _is_ kinda true," Hypnos said to Thanatos, and Thanatos shrugged.

"But listen, Maci," the god of death started, "Even if your parents somehow, magically, miraculously, agree to this, you're not going to end up coming home until, like, two in the morning." He clasped his hands in his lap, warning, "You might be 'almost a teenager', but you're still little."

Maci's expression faltered then fell, realizing he was right. Hades and Persephone, even if some miracle had them issuing permission to explore the children of Nyx, would never agree to her staying out that late at 10 years old, and they wouldn't be happy about having to wait up for her.

…Unless, of course…

"So I'll sleep over!" Macaria's face perked right back up at her brilliant solution, "There, problem solved."

"Ohhh, this is going to be a disaster," Pain groaned to Panic, who was beginning to pace nervously.

The twin gods exchanged glances as Maci stood up, beaming proudly. "We'll ask our mom when your parents get back," Hypnos finally relented, shrugging, and Thanatos mumbled under his breath, "Don't say we didn't warn you."

* * *

"Hah, hah. That's hilarious. Lookit, how hard I'm _laughing_." He wasn't. In fact, Hades' face was set in a deep scowl. Macaria folded her short arms stubbornly, and his lips flickered to a dry smirk as he inquired, "Have you ever considered bein' a comedian, 'cuz that was just… _hi-lar-i-ous._"

"Hades, for Elysium's sake, cut it out already." Persephone waved a glowing hand in his direction, as he had been going at this for quite some time. "Please explain to me in great detail what's _so_ wrong about her having friends, and making new ones?"

"The fact that they're from an insane chaotic family whom I don't particularly care for," Hades huffed.

"That's very hypocritical," Seph said dryly. Pain and Panic made annoyed sounds, sticking firm by their master Hades.

"And _what_, pray tell, is wrong with the two she already has?" Hades continued to gripe, "Ya know, the palace is already invaded by teenagers at least once a week, why does she hafta go out and find some more?"

"Hypnos and Thanatos said most of them wouldn't even want to talk to me," Macaria corrected hopefully.

Persephone didn't point out that that wasn't necessarily a good thing. "Hades, look, even if the twins weren't going to be there, Nyx and Erebus would be paying attention… and they _are_ going to be there, so there's no way she's going to be unsupervised. I for one trust them, completely," she said instead. Hades gave her a dark glare, looking unconvinced as his hair turned orange.

"Besides, more than half of their kids are adults. With children of their own," Persephone pressed. Okay, the issue here was obviously not one of supervision, but she knew that changing Hades' stance on Nyx's kids was next to impossible. So this was the next best method, she supposed…

"I won't do anything bad, pleeeeeease?" Macaria chimed in. She fidgeted eagerly, and Hades sighed, letting his head fall in his hands, shaking it pitifully.

"Oy vey… y'know, there was a time an' place when I was actually _in charge_ around here," he griped, and waved his other hand in a gesture of annoyed dismissal and approval. Maci beamed and scurried off to pick out an outfit for the occasion.

"You're still in charge, Hades," Persephone patted his shoulder fondly, "I'm just… more in charge."

"Ugh," he groaned, and slumped in his throne.

* * *

A week later, Macaria stood unfazed outside of a crashing, rattling, screeching Nyx's house, flanked by a ruffled looking Hypnos and Thanatos, both looking at the place with distaste. From inside, screams of laughter, hysteria, or terror echoed out all at once. A sudden plume of red feathers erupted from a window (shattered). Hypnos wondered if they'd been red to begin with or had simply been stained that color.

"Well," the godling declared, "What are we waiting for?" She bravely strode forwards, and after a moment's pause, the twins hurried to her side again. Over her head, Thanatos hissed to Hypnos, "Okay, make sure she doesn't get maimed, and keep her away from Hybris, Ker, and Lyssa… especially Lyssa. Please, we can't send her home with rabies.

"That's just common sense," Hypnos quickly whispered back, "Anyway, you don't have to lecture me, you have to watch her, too—"

The simpering smile that was sent his way caused him to snap his mouth shut and blink. Hypnos' expression turned to one of disbelief. "—oh, no…you're going to ditch us, aren't you?"

Both gods shot their hands out in synchrony, hastily sending the new revolving door, which Maci had just started to enter, spinning wildly to prevent her from going in alone. Macaria stumbled back and looked up at them. Waving his hand casually and facing down Hypnos' increasing glare, Thanatos replied, "Ditch… ditch, that's a terrible way to put it. I'll come and check on you two…"

"Oh, come on!"

"I'm sorry," Thanatos said, not sounding very sorry at all, "You know how it is. I'm in constant demand, you know."

"Demand!" repeated Hypnos in outrage, Macaria inquiring, with a hint of sarcasm, at the same time, "Demand…?"

The scarlet god of death shooed Hypnos away and entered a section of the door, placing himself in view. The proof manifested itself immediately, as dozens of heads perked up inside, a combined squeal ringing out from almost every prepubescent girl inside. One eyebrow dryly crooked up, Thanatos stepped back out and folded his arms, his black wings unfurling to block the view.

"…that's not fair," Hypnos muttered, bristling and not bothering to hide the jealous pout that crossed his face.

"So you're going to leave us? You're going to leave _me_?" Macaria asked indignant, folding her arms. As she entered the conversation, Hypnos saw Thanatos look uneasy, and he gave a small shrug.

Hypnos' pout turned into an astonished frown. Even he, his own twin brother, couldn't break Thanatos' firm will.

"…Look, Maci," the god of death explained after a pause, a wing fluttering absently in his unease, "You get to a certain point in life—people start to pay you more attention…"

"Uh-huh." Her arms were folded very firmly across her chest, face set in a dark scowl as her eyes flashed from yellow to violet to yellow to violet again. The image that came to Hypnos' mind, watching them, was that of the henpecked husband and harpy of a wife locking horns in a disagreement—blinking at Maci, he had no doubts that she could definitely pull off the latter role; probably even now, judging from her facial expression.

"…and if you don't submit to that attention, just a little bit, the attention goes away. Get it?" Thanatos shrugged regaining his confidence, "I know you understand that. I know you love attention, Maci."

"…Yes," she admitted, giving a small shrug of her own. Hypnos ran a frustrated hand through his hair, hope crushing away. He turned away from the two and paced to the window of the cottage, thinking with a frown. If Maci had the power to make his brother falter for even a second, imagine what she could do if she didn't worship him so entirely! Hypnos pondered just why his expression had changed, even for just those few moments. It had been such a rare occurrence, and he didn't think that Thanatos considered Maci to be a close friend (though of course, and perhaps tragically, she thought completely otherwise). Peering through the glass panels absently, he came to the conclusion that Maci, little Maci, was an intimidating goddess to Thanatos.

Hypnos found this realization kind of comical. Granted, Macaria even at 10 years old was a powerful, rage-fueled, short-tempered, selfish, arrogant little goddess who was dangerous to have against you. And her parents just happened to be the highest authority figures in the underworld, able to cause Thanatos bodily harm—or cause him to lose his job—should she be angered.

But still. Maci was only 10 years old.

"Hypnos!" both Thanatos and Maci called him and the god of sleep turned around to see the two of them standing happily next to each other, conflicts resolved. "Come on, I've got places to be," Thanatos said amicably, folding his arms behind his back. Hypnos sighed and went back over to the pair.

"You're a real jerk," Hypnos muttered hotly under his breath to Thanatos, who tsked and rolled his eyes. "Horrible, horrible words," he said sarcastically. He nudged Macaria over to him and Hypnos took the little goddess' hand, glaring with all the power he could muster at his twin. His twin backed away, but only to get closer to the door.

"I'll check in, have fun, sorry I couldn't stay, but places to go, people to meet, you know how it is," Thanatos cheerfully said, grinning dryly, and poofed inside, probably to vanish inside a crowd of sisters, nieces, and cousins.

Hypnos sighed again.

"It's okay," Macaria said in sudden, happy, explanation, "He's in constant demand." Hypnos looked down at her and let the bitter expression on his face go away. It wasn't her fault she was sticking up for Thanatos… she was too little to understand the way he worked, the sleazeball, and she really did idolize him…

Love, especially the ten year old crushy kind, was truly blind.

"…Whatever," the blond god rolled his eyes, wishing to change the subject. "Let's get going on inside, huh? Nothing interesting out here—"

"Did mom have a new kid?" said a sudden curious voice cut him off, coming from behind them.

The two of them turned, coming face to face with a yellow and sky blue goddess who bore a slight facial resemblance to Hypnos, hooked onto the arm of a similar looking, tall, bearded, almost transparent light blue god who was staring curiously at Macaria with his companion. Both of them shone very, very brightly. The goddess had a headdress formed in the shape of the sun, glowing also, on her head, and wings that looked like happy little puffs of clouds protruding from her back. The god had a pair of radiant neon yellow wings. The dark area all around them was interrupted by a circle of brightness around the pair.

"Hi," Macaria said politely.

The goddess bent to her level, shimmering and shining whenever she moved. "Oh, hello!" The goddess exclaimed brightly, reaching to shake her hand. She did, and then stood back up, giving Hypnos a warm hug, then stepping back besides her husband. "Did mom have another kid?" she repeated to Hypnos, "And, wow, y'know, I thought really she was done, too." She giggled brightly. "Well, always happy to welcome another one of us to the family!"

"Wait… who, Maci? Oh, no," Hypnos quickly explained, waving his hands, "No, no… I'm just borrowing her for the day."

"Oh?" said the shining, see-through god. Hypnos looked at Maci and saw she had noticed that the god wasn't just transparent; he was barely corporeal and was even floating in midair like some sort of glowing spirit, his form looking misty and unreal.

"She wanted to meet the family…" He shook his head, still puzzled as to why anyone would ever want to. "Maci, this is Hemera, and Aither." He gestured to the brother-sister-husband-wife couple, goddess of daytime and god of the clear upper air. "And this, this is Macaria, the Princess of the Underworld."

"Oh, my," gasped Hemera, and Aither too looked impressed. "It's very nice to meet you," she said brightly, living up to her namesake, and Macaria shook her hand for a second time.

"Hypnos, how on earth did you end up hanging out with the Princess of the Underworld?" Aither asked skeptically. Hypnos ignored him and his slightly condescending tone, suppressing a pout.

"Shouldn't you be inside with everyone else?" he asked instead, beginning to usher Maci back towards the door. The two of them shrugged, looking slightly nauseous together.

"It's too dark in there," Aither sighed, as Hemera added, "We much prefer to be above ground. We were thinking of perhaps visiting Elysium instead of being in this… blackness." She waved her arms around. Circles of light and cloud followed her every movement.

"Oh. Of course."

"I don't mind the blackness," Macaria brought up conversationally. A slight smile crossed Day's face. "Oh, she's so sweet, Hypnos! I wish she _were_ part of our family. We need someone like this, don't we, dear?"

"Of course," Aither put in. Hypnos doubted if he was even listening to her.

"Well, you two have fun!" Hemera bubbled, waving again and sending another cheerful burst of light towards them, "Very nice meeting you, Your Highness." She winked a clear blue eye, and the two glided off, still linked arm in arm. Hypnos rolled his eyes, and Maci caught it.

"What was that for? _They're_ not that bad at all."

"Well…" Hypnos sighed, squeezing her hand and stepping through the revolving doors, "Hemera's very… dim," he stated, thinking both that this was ironic, considering how brightly she shone, and hypocritical, considering he himself wasn't the sharpest spear in the bunch and he knew it, "and Aither's a horrible cheat." Maci blinked, and glanced back at the still walking-away-couple, then back to him, her eyes big. "He's got like a million illegitimate kids." Hypnos shrugged, "But hey… that's my family for you." Looking sheepish but maintaining a smile, he stepped fully inside with her, "Every one of us is crazy, in one way or another."

"Hypnos, I'm sure that's not tru—" Macaria cut off, her eyes growing wider, as she slowly began to process both the scene in front of her and how true Hypnos' statement was.

There had to be at least 50 people there, if not more. Roughly half had wings, whether they be black, gold, white, purple, metallic, feathered, leathery, thick, or thin, and there was a complete plethora of different colors. Loud sobs contributed to the noise level, coming from toddler Oizys in the corner, and shrill screams punctuated the high decibels every few seconds as well. The best way to describe it, in fact, was just… chaos, pure chaos. There was Nyx in the center of the room, laughing with one of her sons, either oblivious to or unconcerned about the surrounding insanity.

"Lookie here. Mom had another kid?"

If there was an opposite of Hemera's squeaky, sunshine-y voice, this was the very epitome of it. Hypnos blanched and put his arms protectively around little Maci, turning very slowly to meet another of his siblings. This divinity was stocky, very muscular, with a skin tone of dark maroon and bright red hair framing its face, cropped short and looking like it'd been sloppily lopped off with an axe. A mixture of ichor and blood dripped from every bit of exposed skin and a ripped black chiton was slung around its shoulders. Wide sandaled feet stood firm as slowly _it_ began to grin, showing fangs that belonged in Cerberus's mouth rather than a fellow deity's. Its piggish red eyes were wide, bloodshot and looking absolutely insane as they flickered down to Macaria, then back up to Hypnos.

"I asked you a question," it growled with a deep voice that sounded like sandpaper being shredded by ravenous wolverines.

"Who's that?" Maci squeaked under her breath, unable to tear her eyes away from the demonic looking… thing in front of her. "Hybris," Hypnos quickly whispered back, looking wary, "Another one of my sisters. Goddess of violence."

"…that's a _girl_?" Macaria exclaimed too loudly. Hybris snarled and shot her ape-like hands out at her; Maci jumped back, sending both her and Hypnos stumbling, but safe.

"Watch it, girlie," Violence hissed, blood dribbling from her lip and she paying no attention to it, "I don't make exceptions for family." She cracked her knuckles, starting to grin with her saber-like fangs again. "In fact, they're my favorite punching bags."

"But I'm not your fam —" Hypnos quickly clapped a hand over her mouth, sending Hybris a friendly sheepish grin of his own. "N-nice seeing you again," he stuttered, his smile wavering nervously, and moved to pull Maci away. Hybris huffed and licked her bloody lips, following them with her eyes—and then suddenly the most demonic screeching noise filled both Maci and Hypnos' ears.

"What is that?" Maci cried despite herself, wrenching away from Hypnos to stare. "Another sister!" Hypnos gasped out, pulling her onto the floor, "Duck!"

She hit the deck but peeked out from his arms, her eyes the size of dinner plates. Hybris had been tackled by another goddess, who was making the inhuman screeching sound, and after a second Hybris howled back and lunged in return. There was a blur of claws and fangs and blood, not ichor but blood, spurting out from the writhing pair as they savagely fought. The rest of the Nyx clan were either cowering on the floor or pressed up against the wall, but all still chattering amongst themselves.

"Oh, absolutely not—! Hey, hey, hey, HEY!" Nyx shouted, wrestling her way through the crowd of huddled bodies on the floor and then fearlessly stepping between the two goddesses, her twinkling cape flapping behind her. At her side was a tall navy colored goddess holding a club, a shiny badge of authority holding her short dress together. "Break it up, break it up!" this goddess shouted, and both she and Nyx wrested the other two divinities apart.

Hybris panted, growling deep in her throat as her already previously scarred skin oozed with fresh wounds. The other woman snarled and thrashed—her long, black, jagged hair hung down to the floor, and her eyes glowed a bright red. Her jaw was wide and detached, hanging open and fanged off her face as bloody slashes dripped down her face. This goddess swallowed once and her mouth closed, her features becoming considerably less demonic and much more feminine. The cuts on her face were sealing up already.

Slowly, Nyx's kids began to pick themselves up and the festivities resumed.

"Who's that?" Maci whispered, standing up with Hypnos, who hurriedly backed away with her to safety. He gulped, pointing as Nyx and the officer goddess released the pair. Hybris stomped off to arm wrestle one of her brothers, and the other got to her feet. She looked like a scarecrow, ridiculously skinny and taller than Hades, oozing blood from neat little cuts all up and down her grey arms, neck and face. She sprouted a pair of red wings, all twitchy and mangled, and loped off like a half-starved coyote, grinning with a mouth of crooked fangs and swinging her hands, each finger adorned with a razor sharp claw.

"That's Ker," he whispered, "Goddess of violent death."

"That can't be right. Thanatos is Death."

"Thanatos is Gentle Death. She's every other kind."

"That's… creepy. _She's_ creepy," Maci whispered and shuddered, following her with her eyes. She saw Thanatos burst out of a crowd of now disappointed looking girls and rush up to Ker, whose grin widened. They linked arm in arm and disappeared again. Macaria scowled. "I don't like her," she declared, and whether it was because of the eerie factor or because she had a thing going on with Thanatos, Hypnos wasn't entirely sure. "Who was that other goddess?"

He followed her pointing finger to the navy woman who'd intercepted the fight. "Dike. Goddess of justice," he said, and then pointed to a tall, ugly, tattooed woman. "And that's Adikia. Injustice." As if on cue, the two began to chase each other in loops around the house in a cat and mouse style endeavor.

"Family's crazy. That's why I do my best to stay away from this place," commented another woman who was suddenly next to them. Maci twisted around Hypnos to look and jumped back at once. The woman laughed. "Oh, this one must be new. Hi, Hypnos."

"Hi Achlys," he greeted, steering Maci back out from behind him, "Maci, relax… this one is one of the okay ones."

"You could say that," the woman deadpanned, and straightened from leaning against the wall. Easy temperament or not… this was one of the creepiest goddesses Maci'd ever seen, even with her Underworld upbringing. The little godling blinked, shuffled her feet, and tried not to stare, failing, for Maci was captivated despite herself and the butterflies in her stomach.

This sister of Hypnos was very thin, practically a skeleton with skin thinly stretched over her. Her thick, black hair was long, caked with dust, and arrow-straight, and her hands hung loosely at her sides, fingernails overgrown and looking more like claws. Her skin was a pale green-gray, and from her bloodshot, red eyes, tears of blood ran down her cheeks. Her gray, tattered and stained dress hung to her knees, and after that, it was impossible to tell how much further it hung down for clouds of dust and green smoke billowed from her figure.

But worst of all was her mouth. A huge, inhuman, toothy grin was stretched across her face, shiny white teeth dulled by dust and blood, framed by black painted lips. It hadn't opened or moved, even when she'd spoken, and her voice sounded clear from behind her frozen jaw.

"So where'd this one come from, Hypnos? Did mother decide to start adopting?" said Achlys casually, ignoring Maci, who'd begun to shamelessly gape openmouthed.

"Nah, she's just a friend." Maci looked up at Hypnos and noticed that his gaze was carefully aimed at Achlys' feet; evidently her frozen smile was just as creepy for him as it was for her.

"Oh, really," she said, squinting through her red rimmed eyes at little Maci. "She looks familiar." Maci smirked and puffed up her chest, standing as tall as she could. "I'm the Princess," she announced proudly, and Achlys looked unfazed.

"Ah," nodded the goddess, "Knew I've seen you around. Little Princess Macaria." She rolled her eyes, daintily moved a lock of thick black hair from her face with an overgrown fingernail, and scoffed, "Not exactly sure why you're here, I'm sure your big fancy palace is much nicer than this overcrowded little place."

Macaria shrugged happily. "I don't mind it here at all—" she started, but was cut off by a whir of orange and red, followed by a shrieking pale gray and black blur close behind, spinning right past them and tearing through the house. "Oh for the love of Zeus, Apate and Dolos," groaned Hypnos and Achlys shook her head wearily. Maci tilted her head, and he pointed, "Apate's deceit, Dolos is trickery, they're twins—"

"Really, really annoying twins," Achlys said flatly.

"—and, um- dunno what they did, but that's Phrice chasing after them… goddess of horror." Macaria blinked and watched the red/orange blurs slow down, and split in two different directions, both laughing loudly. The ashen looking goddess skidded to a stop and looked around, and Maci gave a small yelp and hid her face. Phrice was another goddess with a distorted countenance; her mouth hung open in a silent scream, and her small eyes were opened wide, terror reflecting in her icy gray irises. Her thin black eyebrows creased and narrowed angrily, and she stalked off, fists clenched. Matted in her scraggly black hair was something bright purple—it looked like paint.

"Oh _gods,_ they're throwing paint balloons," Achlys gave an annoyed sigh. "That's definitely my cue to leave. Have fun with this bunch, Hypnos, and nice meeting you, Macaria." She gave a two fingered salute as a goodbye greeting and poofed away very quickly, leaving behind a cloud of green mist. Hypnos quickly waved away the noxious fumes.

"What's she the goddess of?" Maci inquired.

"Poison," said Hypnos, "But she likes creeping around on battlefields, too."

"_DOLOS!_" screeched a male voice from across the room, simultaneous with a great big 'thud.' Standing with his fists balled at his sides was a sweaty looking yellow god, his mustard colored hair tied up in a bun, and his bare chest was splattered with green paint. At his feet was a scattered pile of large scrolls. The aforementioned god blinked innocently, standing before his brother with a smirk slapped across his orange face. Apate skipped out from behind the yellow god, and folded her arms next to Dolos. Grinning, both of them chirped in sweet unison, "Yeeeeees?"

"Oh, that is IT! I've had it with you two!" bellowed the god and lunged at them; they screeched, delighted, and scattered in opposite directions, chucking paint balloons as they went.

Hypnos quickly ushered Maci to a corner and sat down with her, rolling his eyes. "Now that," he pointed, his finger moving quickly, as no-one was standing still, to the yellow god furiously running after the mischievous twins, "is Ponos, he's the god of hard labor. …I mean, like, not pregnancy labor, just work." "Right," Maci nodded, and Hypnos shrugged and began to point out everyone in the room.

"That girl standing right there, that's Aponia." Hypnos shook his head, blond locks bouncing. "Goddess of difficulty." She was perfectly manifested as a scrawny teenage girl, her face covered in tattoos and piercings, and her hair spiked up and dyed in many different colors. "That woman there, that's Sophie, goddess of…" He yawned, blinked slowly, and slumped back, asleep. Maci nudged him awake and he picked right up, "…of self-control. The tiny girl next to her is Elpis, goddess of hope… she's so small 'cuz she got stuck in Pandora's box way back when… and it kind of stunted her growth." Sophrosyne had curly teal hair, her skin a pastel pink and angel wings sprouting from her back. Elpis was about the size of her knee, but was all golden, shining very brightly. "Over there is Moros, the god of doom, next to him is Polemus… he's the god of battles, not battling, but literally battles… see all the arrows sticking out of him? He used to have a spear in his back but he got that removed… used to hit people with it accidentally, was a real nuisance. The guy over there laughing at Eleus—she's Mercy—is Momos, with an 'm', he's the god of mockery, a real jerk…" Eleus looked up at her name, glared at Momos, and took the opportunity to run away, her ruby braid dancing behind her. "Amechania's that little pink girl, the one that kinda looks like a lost baby sheep… she's the goddess of helplessness. The guy sitting over there surrounded by lots of nieces, that's Philotes… god of sex." ("There's a god of that?" little Maci flatly asked and Hypnos nodded and went on.) "… the one screaming is Alala, Battle Cries, she's Polemus's kid… the really old one is Geras, Old Age… the girl in that corner there is Hesychia, goddess of silence—" Hypnos blinked, did a doubletake, quieted, and uneasily glanced at Maci.

Hesychia was standing with Thanatos. Hypnos didn't know when he'd come back from frolicking with Ker. He wasn't surprised they had ducked out earlier, either. The two could never have formed a solid relationship, but enjoyed their nights of flings whenever Ker dropped in—she was much too busy to ever be around for long so the two shared their… bonding experiences in the short times she was here. But frightening Ker was nowhere to be found now. The seventeen year old god of death was smiling, saying something no-one could hear, clasping the hands of his similarly-aged niece as his wings shrunk into his back. Hesychia never spoke (Hypnos didn't know if she had vocal chords, in fact), but her milky white face was beginning to color itself with a happy blush and a smile was curved on her ivory lips…

"Who's she again?"

Hypnos looked at Macaria. Surprisingly she wasn't flaring up (yet?), but instead was staring after the pair with narrowed, suddenly yellow eyes, her hands fisted in her chiton. "That's, um…" Hypnos started, trailing off. He was watching Thanatos and Hesychia closely, wondering if they would start doing anything in front of Maci, and then wondering what he'd do should Maci lose her temper and freak out. "…um… Hesychia, goddess of silence, one of our nieces… Dike's daughter." "That's his niece," Macaria repeated, and Hypnos nodded, quickly explaining, "We're Greek gods, Maci… especially in this family, incest, well… mom likes to say that as long as it's consensual, she doesn't care."

Maci's scowl deepened. Their line of view was suddenly intercepted by Ceuthonymus (the god of caves) running away from Lyssa, who was screaming and foaming at the mouth, as a goddess of rabies and insanity was apt to do and when it opened back up again, Thanatos and Hesychia were locked in a kiss.

"…He _ditched_ us," spoke Macaria suddenly, her voice coming out in a low hiss steadily rising in volume, "to _hook up…_ with one of his _nieces_?" The ending words were a near scream. Hypnos quickly ushered her up and out, down the hallway, and past an endless series of doors.

"Oh Maci, please don't mind him," Hypnos sighed, taking a skeleton key from his pocket and unlocking a wooden door scratched with several deep slashes, "the only girls he can get are the ones he's related to. Besides, it won't last. Nothing ever does with him. He's a player." Hypnos rolled his eyes, yawned, and pushed open the door. "Here… me and Thanatos' room. I suggest hiding here until the crowd thins out." The rage of the little goddess fizzled out.

"You guys share a room? How do you know which stuff is yours and which is… ohhhhh." The question didn't need to be finished. The answer was immediately obvious. There was a deep indent clawed in the floor (with Thanatos' scythe still sticking out of it) and the room was split down the middle. One side was painted powder blue, with poppies hanging in braids up and down the wall, torches hanging upside-down for light. The other side of the room had the odd (dead) poppy flower, too, but was painted black, with skeletons hanging from the wall, skulls arranged on shelves, and several scythes suspended from the ceiling.

"I wonder which half belongs to who," the ten year old goddess sarcastically said and flopped on Thanatos' bed. A scythe fell from the ceiling and embedded itself in the floor, its blade glistening. Hypnos shuddered and fell onto his own bed. "So, that's my family," he sighed, "Or at least some of them."

"They're interesting."

"That's one way of putting it."

Maci was quiet for a moment, but fidgeted, playing with the hem of her chiton. "…can I make my parents get rid of her?" she finally asked, sounding very childishly innocent.

"What? Who?"

"His niece."

Hypnos paused. "Her mom's the goddess of justice. I don't think you'd get away with that."

"Oh." Maci scowled. "Well, I was his friend first."

"Uh-huh."

"It's not fair."

"I really wouldn't take it personally, Maci… or take them seriously, for that matter."

"Well, still." She sat up and scowled. "I'm gonna kill him when he gets back."

Hypnos shook his head, a slight smirk on his face. "Alright, Maci, alri—

* * *

—"I'm still waiting for the relevant part," interjected Meg. In the middle of a word. Persephone stopped and glared at her.

"Maybe we passed the relevant part already," Persephone pursed her lips, and folded her pink arms, "We won't know until I go on, huh? Right, so stop interrupting me."

"Okay, then go on." Megara flicked her hand.

"Well, now you have to wait. I call a nectar break." Persephone gave her another dirty look and snapped her fingers, pulling a glass of golden glowing liquid from the air, and casually sipped it, in no rush at all.

* * *

~Author's Notes~ Hey guys! Finally updated! School ends very soon for me so I'll have lots more time for updates... hopefully. :) Some quick things to say:

*If anyone wants to see some artwork of teen-Thanatos, teen-Hypnos, 10 year old Maci (won't tell what they look like older just yet), Ker, Lyssa, Achlys, Hesychia, Hemera, Dike, or Nyx, just shoot me a pm. [please don't request any others, as no-one else is drawn out. Feel free to draw them yourselves, artists! XD]

*My references for all these characters is a wonderful site called Theoi [dot] com. Of course I took many creative liberties with appearances and personalities, and slightly modified unknown parentage or godly duties to further fit characterizations... I know these chars are all unknown but they did all exist in Greek myth, so if there's anyone familiar with them out there? Please don't correct me on any inaccuracies, I'm fully aware of them all. :P

*Which one of the featured or mentioned, or even unmentioned children of Nyx is your favorite? I'm curious! Let me know in your reviews! :)

Until next time! Thanks for reading :)


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